Hi everyone,
Yesterday, on my CIB blog, I shared a story I came across entitled "God's Coffee". It's an inspirational story about life. I encourage you to go and take a look at it when you have a chance. Today I'd like to share on this blog, another story I came across entitled "Pennies".
Pennies
You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.
Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about th e weekend.. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.
The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.
As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment..
Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.
He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pock et as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?
Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.
A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?
'Look at it.' He said. 'Read what it says.' She read the words
' United States of America ' 'No, not that; read further.' 'One cent?'
'No, keep reading.' 'In God we Trust?'
'Yes!'
'And?'
'And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin, I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!
When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I rea d the words, 'In God We Trust,' and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message..
It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient.."
Life Lesson: Who or What do YOU trust in? Do you trust in God? We must remember that whether we believe it or not He is our Creator and if we accept Jesus Christ His Son as our Savior then God is not only our Creator but He is our Heavenly Father as well. And as our Heavenly Father He loves us dearly and wants to shower us with His blessings. We should all remember that it is in Him we live and breathe and have our very being. Without God and His Son Jesus and what was done on the cross at Calvary for us, we wouldn't have a hope and a future as told to us by Jeremiah (in the Bible).
Just a very wonderful story I wanted to share with you. Hope it lifted you up the way it did me.
God bless..
MJ
"NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER GIVE IN!"
http://budurl.com/cibblog
http://budurl.com/storywriterinbzblog
Together with Jesus is better than separate and alone. - Sarah Bowling
Follow me on twitter: http://budurl.com/followmeontwitter2
Showing posts with label encouragement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label encouragement. Show all posts
Friday, May 22, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Q & A with Angie Strader from The World Needs More Happy
Hi everyone,
If you've visited my blog, A Story Writer At Heart (Among Other Things), you should have noticed that I've been having Q & A sessions with some very interesting people. Firstly, there's Mike Spillman (Future You University), who actually gave me the idea. Then there was Russell Emerson. Now I'm so proud to say that Angie Strader from The World Needs More Happy has agreed to a little Q & A session with me.
Angie Strader is the creator of The World Needs More Happy which is a place where people can come together on a global level in a positive and uplifting environment so we can begin to collectively shift the overall level of happiness in our world. To learn more about this amazing woman please visit her profile on The World Needs More Happy.
She graciously accepted the Q & A request. Here's the result:
I'm sorry this took so long, but I really did want to dedicate time to it and nor rush it. Thank you again for asking me to participate. It allowed me to dig deep and gain clarity on some things - at least as far as where I am today. Who knows what tomorrow will bring! With sincerity - I appreciate you!
1) What is your idea/your definition of success? Success is realizing your true purpose in life and living in accordance with fulfilling that purpose. Many people define success with a specific income level or by achieving fame, but those are only visible measurements of achievement and do not necessarily equate to success. Someone may feel their purpose in life is to be a silent monk where another person may feel their purpose is to be a circus clown. As long as each individual lives according to their highest calling, does the right things and makes the right choices to live in alignment with their God-given purpose, I consider them a success.
2) What are you willing to do to be a success? As I continue on my journey I will only do what I feel aligns with my values and principles and do it with utmost integrity. I will do my best to be genuine, authentic and serve others as I feel that is when I am at my best and living in accordance with my true purpose. I strive to do the right thing always, even when the right thing may be uncomfortable. I have faced some very uncomfortable situations in my life in which I would not compromise on what I believed to be right. Although it was painful to go through at the time, I will never look back with regret. I am able to be at peace with the decisions I have made in my life.
3) What are you NOT willing to do to be a success? I will not compromise my own values and belief system in an attempt to be successful. I will not jeopardize my core values or exploit others for personal gain.
4) What are some of your short-term goals? (For the sake of brevity, my answers are restricted to my professional goals)
a. To continue to build The World Needs More Happy (www.theworldneedsmorehappy.com) as an online community where people from all over the world come together to create a positive shift in the collective level of our overall happiness in the world
b. Create a Happiness Leadership learning system available online and through corporate training sessions
c. For The World Needs More Happy Friday podcast to reach and hold a position in the Top 10 self-help podcasts on iTunes
d. To be a contributing writer for a local publication within the field of positive thinking and mental well-being
e. To begin public speaking at a local level for organizations and businesses
5) What are some of your mid-term goals?
a. To author an uplifting and inspiring book and it be published by a reputable publisher
b. To do national public speaking events in conjunction with the release of my book
c. To be a contributing writer for a national publication within the field of positive thinking and mental well-being
6) What are some of your long-term goals?
a. Author several best-selling books that continue to truly uplift and inspire others
b. Travel the world creating more happiness through various projects that I haven’t even thought of yet
c. To allow opportunities to unfold and continue to make a positive difference in the world
7) What are you willing to do to achieve those goals? I feel so strongly about my calling/purpose in life that I will do everything within my power to help others achieve a higher level of happiness - just as long as I always live in accordance with my core values and do everything with the highest level of integrity.
8) What are you NOT willing to do to achieve those goals? I will not jeopardize my family or my own happiness in the process of attaining my goals.
9) What are your values/beliefs?
Beliefs: I believe that above all else I must be true to myself. I have strong convictions and I know deep down what is right and wrong. I will do everything in my power to do the right thing always. I believe in being the best person I can be so that I am honoring my family as well as myself. I believe in continuous self-development so that I am always stretching and growing towards my highest potential. I believe in servant leadership. I know that through serving and helping others I am doing my greatest good. I believe in truth and honesty. I believe in God as my higher power and through him, anything is possible. I believe in destiny and that everything happens for a reason. I also believe that no matter how bad things seem, things will get better and everything happens for a reason. I learn from each challenge and each success.
Values: I value the love I receive from my husband, my family and close friends and draw strength and inspiration from those relationships. I value my health (mental & physical) and I do daily work to be strong and healthy so I can be the best I can be. I value my freedom to choose to be and do whatever aligns with my purpose. I value my ability to be independent (as well as inter-dependent) and I am proud to be born in a country that allows me the right to choose my own path and make my dreams, goals and purpose a reality.
10) What advice would you give to someone wanting to make it as an entrepreneur, whether online or offline? If you already know what your calling or highest purpose is, then you need to believe in yourself and your higher-power source to pursue your destiny. Do your best to come up with a plan for your new venture and attain any necessary skills you need in order to move forward. You also need to know that you cannot plan for everything and there will be challenges thrown at you. You need to have the confidence in yourself and the deep conviction that what you are doing is the right thing for you and those around you and never give up.
If you don’t do not know what your calling is, you may just need to take the leap of faith and allow your destiny to unfold before you. I recently had to learn to “let go” and “let it be.” Once I did that – once I quit trying to force things and control everything, I discovered my purpose and everything has begun to fall into place according to God’s will. This was not easy to do and my own stubbornness held me back for a long time, but once I got it, my life has really blossomed.
11) Anything else you'd like to share? Thank you for your interest in what I have to say on these topics. I am truly flattered! I took these questions seriously, tried to dig deep, and through it discovered more about myself. I appreciate every opportunity I have to help others reach and strive to be reach their goals and achieve personal happiness. No matter where they are today or the challenges they face, I hope those who read this will be inspired to be the best they can be. We all have a higher purpose. Quit trying to force, manipulate, and control your destiny, as it will only delay things. Your life and your destiny have already been written, all you have to do is let go and it will be. Much happiness to all!
Angie
-- Angie Strader
angiestrader@theworldneedsmorehappy.com
817.431.6247 office817.881.3042 cell
www.TheWorldNeedsMoreHappy.com
Facebook: http://profile.to/angiestrader/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/WorldMoreHappy
As you can see, Angie was very gracious in her responses. I can't thank her enough.
God bless...
MJ
"NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER GIVE IN!"
http://budurl.com/cibblog
http://budurl.com/storywriterinbzblog
If you've visited my blog, A Story Writer At Heart (Among Other Things), you should have noticed that I've been having Q & A sessions with some very interesting people. Firstly, there's Mike Spillman (Future You University), who actually gave me the idea. Then there was Russell Emerson. Now I'm so proud to say that Angie Strader from The World Needs More Happy has agreed to a little Q & A session with me.
Angie Strader is the creator of The World Needs More Happy which is a place where people can come together on a global level in a positive and uplifting environment so we can begin to collectively shift the overall level of happiness in our world. To learn more about this amazing woman please visit her profile on The World Needs More Happy.
She graciously accepted the Q & A request. Here's the result:
I'm sorry this took so long, but I really did want to dedicate time to it and nor rush it. Thank you again for asking me to participate. It allowed me to dig deep and gain clarity on some things - at least as far as where I am today. Who knows what tomorrow will bring! With sincerity - I appreciate you!
1) What is your idea/your definition of success? Success is realizing your true purpose in life and living in accordance with fulfilling that purpose. Many people define success with a specific income level or by achieving fame, but those are only visible measurements of achievement and do not necessarily equate to success. Someone may feel their purpose in life is to be a silent monk where another person may feel their purpose is to be a circus clown. As long as each individual lives according to their highest calling, does the right things and makes the right choices to live in alignment with their God-given purpose, I consider them a success.
2) What are you willing to do to be a success? As I continue on my journey I will only do what I feel aligns with my values and principles and do it with utmost integrity. I will do my best to be genuine, authentic and serve others as I feel that is when I am at my best and living in accordance with my true purpose. I strive to do the right thing always, even when the right thing may be uncomfortable. I have faced some very uncomfortable situations in my life in which I would not compromise on what I believed to be right. Although it was painful to go through at the time, I will never look back with regret. I am able to be at peace with the decisions I have made in my life.
3) What are you NOT willing to do to be a success? I will not compromise my own values and belief system in an attempt to be successful. I will not jeopardize my core values or exploit others for personal gain.
4) What are some of your short-term goals? (For the sake of brevity, my answers are restricted to my professional goals)
a. To continue to build The World Needs More Happy (www.theworldneedsmorehappy.com) as an online community where people from all over the world come together to create a positive shift in the collective level of our overall happiness in the world
b. Create a Happiness Leadership learning system available online and through corporate training sessions
c. For The World Needs More Happy Friday podcast to reach and hold a position in the Top 10 self-help podcasts on iTunes
d. To be a contributing writer for a local publication within the field of positive thinking and mental well-being
e. To begin public speaking at a local level for organizations and businesses
5) What are some of your mid-term goals?
a. To author an uplifting and inspiring book and it be published by a reputable publisher
b. To do national public speaking events in conjunction with the release of my book
c. To be a contributing writer for a national publication within the field of positive thinking and mental well-being
6) What are some of your long-term goals?
a. Author several best-selling books that continue to truly uplift and inspire others
b. Travel the world creating more happiness through various projects that I haven’t even thought of yet
c. To allow opportunities to unfold and continue to make a positive difference in the world
7) What are you willing to do to achieve those goals? I feel so strongly about my calling/purpose in life that I will do everything within my power to help others achieve a higher level of happiness - just as long as I always live in accordance with my core values and do everything with the highest level of integrity.
8) What are you NOT willing to do to achieve those goals? I will not jeopardize my family or my own happiness in the process of attaining my goals.
9) What are your values/beliefs?
Beliefs: I believe that above all else I must be true to myself. I have strong convictions and I know deep down what is right and wrong. I will do everything in my power to do the right thing always. I believe in being the best person I can be so that I am honoring my family as well as myself. I believe in continuous self-development so that I am always stretching and growing towards my highest potential. I believe in servant leadership. I know that through serving and helping others I am doing my greatest good. I believe in truth and honesty. I believe in God as my higher power and through him, anything is possible. I believe in destiny and that everything happens for a reason. I also believe that no matter how bad things seem, things will get better and everything happens for a reason. I learn from each challenge and each success.
Values: I value the love I receive from my husband, my family and close friends and draw strength and inspiration from those relationships. I value my health (mental & physical) and I do daily work to be strong and healthy so I can be the best I can be. I value my freedom to choose to be and do whatever aligns with my purpose. I value my ability to be independent (as well as inter-dependent) and I am proud to be born in a country that allows me the right to choose my own path and make my dreams, goals and purpose a reality.
10) What advice would you give to someone wanting to make it as an entrepreneur, whether online or offline? If you already know what your calling or highest purpose is, then you need to believe in yourself and your higher-power source to pursue your destiny. Do your best to come up with a plan for your new venture and attain any necessary skills you need in order to move forward. You also need to know that you cannot plan for everything and there will be challenges thrown at you. You need to have the confidence in yourself and the deep conviction that what you are doing is the right thing for you and those around you and never give up.
If you don’t do not know what your calling is, you may just need to take the leap of faith and allow your destiny to unfold before you. I recently had to learn to “let go” and “let it be.” Once I did that – once I quit trying to force things and control everything, I discovered my purpose and everything has begun to fall into place according to God’s will. This was not easy to do and my own stubbornness held me back for a long time, but once I got it, my life has really blossomed.
11) Anything else you'd like to share? Thank you for your interest in what I have to say on these topics. I am truly flattered! I took these questions seriously, tried to dig deep, and through it discovered more about myself. I appreciate every opportunity I have to help others reach and strive to be reach their goals and achieve personal happiness. No matter where they are today or the challenges they face, I hope those who read this will be inspired to be the best they can be. We all have a higher purpose. Quit trying to force, manipulate, and control your destiny, as it will only delay things. Your life and your destiny have already been written, all you have to do is let go and it will be. Much happiness to all!
Angie
-- Angie Strader
angiestrader@theworldneedsmorehappy.com
817.431.6247 office817.881.3042 cell
www.TheWorldNeedsMoreHappy.com
Facebook: http://profile.to/angiestrader/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/WorldMoreHappy
As you can see, Angie was very gracious in her responses. I can't thank her enough.
God bless...
MJ
"NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER GIVE IN!"
http://budurl.com/cibblog
http://budurl.com/storywriterinbzblog
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Welcome to MJ Enterprises Bz
Hello everyone,
Welcome welcome welcome to MJ Enterprises Bz. This blog will be my main site which I'll use to help encourage people to pursue their dreams and get the most out of their life.
From time to time I'll be posting about a business opportunity or such which I think would help you out financially. Mostly, the posts will be encouraging, uplifting, inspirational, motivational.
If there's anything you'd like to know about me or you just want to say hi and maybe introduce yourself to me, feel free to email me: storywriterinbz@gmail.com OR mjenterprisesbz@gmail.com
Looking forward to get to meet you soon.
God bless...
Miss J (aka MJ)
http://budurl.com/storywriterinbzblog
http://budurl.com/cibblog
ps. I give valuable information I come across to my friends in the online communities. You can always follow me on twitter (http://budurl.com/followmeontwitter1) to see what valuable information I'm giving away free of charge.
Welcome welcome welcome to MJ Enterprises Bz. This blog will be my main site which I'll use to help encourage people to pursue their dreams and get the most out of their life.
From time to time I'll be posting about a business opportunity or such which I think would help you out financially. Mostly, the posts will be encouraging, uplifting, inspirational, motivational.
If there's anything you'd like to know about me or you just want to say hi and maybe introduce yourself to me, feel free to email me: storywriterinbz@gmail.com OR mjenterprisesbz@gmail.com
Looking forward to get to meet you soon.
God bless...
Miss J (aka MJ)
http://budurl.com/storywriterinbzblog
http://budurl.com/cibblog
ps. I give valuable information I come across to my friends in the online communities. You can always follow me on twitter (http://budurl.com/followmeontwitter1) to see what valuable information I'm giving away free of charge.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
