Forgiveness is letting go of the pain
And accepting what has happened,
Because it will not change.
Forgiveness is dismissing the blame.
Choices were made that caused the hurt;
We each could have chosen differently,
But we didn’t.
Forgiveness is looking at the pain,
Learning the lessons it has produced,
And understanding what we have learned.
Forgiveness allows us to move on
Towards a better understanding
Of universal love and our true purpose.
Forgiveness is knowing that love
Is the answer to all questions,
And that we all are in some way connected.
Forgiveness is starting over,
With the knowledge that we have gained.
I forgive you, and I forgive myself.
I hope you can do the same.

Think about them one at a time before going on to the next one..

1. Falling in love.
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
3. A hot shower.
4. No lines at the supermarket
5. A special glance.
6. Getting mail
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
11. Finding the sweater you want is on sale for half price.
12. Chocolate milkshake. (or vanilla!) (or strawberry)
13. A long distance phone call.
14. A bubble bath.
15. Giggling.
16. A good conversation.
17. The beach
18. Finding a 20 note in your coat from last winter.
19. Laughing at yourself.
20. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.
21. Running through sprinklers.
22. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
23. Having someone tell you that you’re beautiful.
24. Laughing at an inside joke.
25. Friends.
26. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
27. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep…
28. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner).
29. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
30. Playing with a new puppy.
31. Having someone play with your hair.
32. Sweet dreams.
33. Hot chocolate.
34. Road trips with friends.
35. Swinging on swings.
36. Wrapping presents under the Christmas tree while eating cookies and drinking your favorite tipple.
37. Song lyrics printed inside your new CD so you can sing along without feeling stupid.
38. Going to a really good concert.
39. Making eye contact with a cute stranger
40. Winning a really competitive game.
41. Making chocolate chip cookies.
42. Having your friends send you homemade cookies.
43. Spending time with close friends.
44. Seeing smiles and hearing laughter from your friends.
45. Holding hands with someone you care about.
46. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
47. Riding the best roller coasters over and over.
48. Watching the expression on someone’s face as they open a much desired present from you.
49. Watching the sunrise.
50. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.

We need to learn to thank the Lord for closed doors just as much as we do for open doors. The reason God closes doors is because He has not prepared anything over there for us.

If he didn’t close the wrong door we would never find our way to the right door. Even when we don’t realize it, God directs our paths through the closing and opening of doors. When one door closes, it forces us to change our course. Another door closes; it forces us to change our course yet again.

Then finally, we find the open door and walk right into our blessing. But instead of praising God for the closed door (which kept us out of trouble), we get upset because we “judge by the appearances.” And in our own arrogance, or ignorance, we insist that we know what is right. We have a very present help in the time of need who is always standing guard. Because He walks ahead of us, He can see trouble down the road and HE sets up road blocks and detours accordingly. But through our lack of wisdom we try to tear down the roadblocks or push aside the detour signs. Then the minute we get into trouble, we start crying “Lord how could this happen to me?” We have got to realize that the closed door was a blessing. Didn’t He say that “No good thing will He withhold from them that love Him?”

If you get terminated from your job - don’t be down, instead thank God for the new opportunities that will manifest themselves it might be a better job, or an opportunity to go to school. If that man or woman won’t return your call - it might not be them, it might be the Lord setting up a roadblock (just let it go).

I’m so grateful, for the many times God has closed doors to me, just to open them in the most unexpected places.

Sometimes I think of me and you
And every now and then I think we’ll never make it through
We go through some crazy times
And there are times I wonder if I’ll keep loving you
But I always do

Seems that love always finds a reason
To keep me here believin’
When I feel our love is slipping away
Seems that love always finds a reason
To make me stay
And even through the darkest night
The feeling survives
Seems that I can just look at you
And I find the reason in your eyes

I know sometimes you wish that you were free
I know sometimes you wonder what you’re doing here with me
But something keeps you by my side
Through everything, through all the times we disagree
You keep loving me

I find the reason
I find the reason, hoh …
I found the reason in your eyes

Click here to listen to this song…

If you love someone because you think that he or she is really gorgeous ….then it’s not love .. it’s “Infatuation”

If you love someone because you think that you shouldn’t leave him because others think that you shouldn’t … then it’s not love.. it’s “Compromise”

If you love someone because you have been kissed by him … then it’s not love.. it’s “Inferiority complex”

If you love someone because you cannot leave him thinking that it would hurt his feelings .. then it’s not love .. it’s “Charity”

If you love someone because you share every thing with him … then it’s not love… it’s “Friendship”

BUT…
If you feel the pain of the other person more than him even when he is stable and you cry for him … that’s “LOVE”

If you get attracted to other people but stay with him without any regrets… that’s “LOVE”

If you let him go knowing that he has to go even though you don’t want to … that’s “LOVE”

If I knew it would be the last time that I’d see you fall asleep
I would tuck you in more tightly and pray the Lord your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time that I’d see you walk out the door,
I would hug you and kiss you and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time I heard your name lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word, so I could play it back for days.

If I knew it would be the last time to spare an extra minute or two,
I’d stop and say “I love you”, instead of assuming that you know I do.

If I knew it would be the last time I would be there to share your day . . . .
Well, I’m sure you’ll have many more, so I’ll let this one slip away.

For surely there is tomorrow to make up for an oversight,
And we’ll always get a second chance to make everything all right.

There will be another chance to say our “I love you’s,”
And certainly there’s another chance to say our “Anything I can do”’s.

But just in case I might be wrong, and today is all I get,
I’d like to say how much I love you, I hope to never forget
That tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike,
And today might be your last chance to hold your loved one tight.

So if you’re waiting for tomorrow, why not do it all today?
For if tomorrow never comes, you will surely regret the day
That you didn’t take the extra time for a smile or hug or kiss.
And were too busy to grant someone what turned out to be their last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today and whisper in their ear.
Tell them how much you love them and that you’ll always hold them dear.
Take the time to say “I’m sorry”, “Please forgive me”, “Thank you” or “It’s OK”,
And if tomorrow never comes, you’ll have no regrets about today.

There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.

But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest - in perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

“Because,” explained the king, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace.”

There was this guy who loved two girls at the same time but he didn’t know which one he loved more. Someone taught him.

Ask yourself this question and answer it honestly :

“When you are happy, which girl would you want to share your happiness with?” The one you think of is someone you love.

Ask yourself another question and answer it honestly :

“When you are sad, which girl you want to share your burden with?” The one you think of is also someone you love.

If you think of the same girl when you are happy and sad, that’s the most perfect. But if you don’t think of the same girl, I would advise you to chose the one you are willing to share your sadness with.

In life, there are more sorrows than happiness. There are too many people that you meet that you can share your happiness with, not necessary your lover. If you live your life happily, you can also enjoy it alone. In sadness, however, there are not many people willing to share your burden with you. If you are willing to tell someone your happiness, I am sure that person has got to be someone close and an understanding person to you.

But it shouldn’t stop there. If that person only thinks of you when she is happy, but looks for someone else when she is sad, this lover is too unstable, she doesn’t treat you as someone she can spend the rest of her life with.

If you are sad, who comes to your mind first?

I can’t believe what i just heard
Could it be true?
Are you the girl I thought I knew
The one who promised me her love
Where did it go?
Does anybody ever know?

How do you heal a broken heart?
That feels like it will never beat this much again
I just can’t let go
How do you heal a broken heart?
That feels like it will never love this much again
Tonight I’ll hold what could be right
Tomorrow I’ll pretend to let you go

And were you ever what you seemed
Or was I a fool who fell in love
With his own dream
And now you say you want to leave
Start a new life today
Those words I thought you’d never say

Tonight I’ll hold what could be right
Tomorrow I’ll pretend to
Wake and put it all behind me
And find that I have finally found
A new life, in my soul
And find that I know how to let you go

Click here to listen to this song…

Most of us have now learned to live with “voice mail” as a necessary part of our daily lives. But have you ever wondered what it would be like if God decided to install voice mail?

Imagine praying and hearing the following:

Thank you for calling heaven.

For English press 1
For French press 2
For all other languages press 0

Please select one of the following options:
Press 1 for Requests
Press 2 for Thanksgiving
Press 3 for Complaints
Press 4 for all other inquiries

I’m sorry, all our angels and saints are busy helping other sinners right now. However, your prayer is important to us, and we will answer it in the order it was received. Please stay on line.

If you would like to speak with:
God, Press 1
Jesus, Press 2
Holy Spirit, Press 3
If you would like to hear King David sing a Psalm while you are holding. Press 4

To find a loved one who has been assigned to Heaven, Press 5, then enter his or her social security number, followed by the # (pound sign). If you receive a negative response, please hang up and try area code 666.

For reservations at Heaven, please enter J-O-H-N, followed by the numbers 3:16.

For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth, life on other planets, and where Noah’s Ark is, please wait till you arrive.

Our computers show that you have already prayed today. Please hang up and try again tomorrow.

The office is now closed for the weekend to observe a religious holiday. Please pray again on Monday after 9:30 a.m. If you are calling after hours and need emergency service, please call your local pastor.

Thank you for having a Heavenly Day!

“We are born into a vast room whose walls consist of a thousand doors of possibility. Each door is flung open to the world outside, and the room is filled with light and noise. We close some of the doors deliberately, sometimes with fear, sometimes with calm certainty. Others seem to close themselves, some so quietly that we do not even notice.”

-Terry Teachout