Never give up; you never know until you try.

It's been completely crazy in my world the last few weeks.  I'm sure you can relate!  Honestly, I've shed a few tears of sheer frustration, but I've kept going, knowing that, as the title says, I think I can (and) I know God can.

Though things have occasionally been a little "hairy," God has been so good and faithful to send me encouragement when I've really needed it.  Wednesday night, I was watching "NCIS" and relaxing, when I remembered that I hadn't pre-scheduled a blog post for the week.  I was tired and didn't really feel like climbing the stairs to my home office, but I didn't want to miss my usual posting time by any more than I already had, so I dragged myself to the computer.  What I saw when I logged on made my day brighter and reminded me again that God sends just what we need, often in unexpected ways.

The Yahoo news page had an unspeakably tender photo of a man wading in the warm water of Lake Superior, gently cradling his arthritic dog in his arms.  I'm an animal lover and "melt" any time I see just about any animal, and I cry, angrily and unashamedly, when I learn of someone being cruel to one.  I also cry tears of joy when I learn of someone being especially kind to one. 

The photo went viral, and animal lovers from far and wide have donated money for the dog's treatment--above what the dog needs, so other animals will benefit from the generosity so freely given.  The picture says it all.  Check it out.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/dog-photo-schoep-arthritic-lake-180953849.html

Fall Trivia

Never give up; you never know until you try.

With fall just around the corner, I thought you might enjoy a bit of trivia.
http://www.quizmoz.com/quizzes/Trivia-Quizzes/f/Fall-Trivia-Quiz.asp

Happy fall, everyone!

Wisdom From a Holocaust Survivor

Never give up; you never know until you

I received a couple of these in an email devotional and thought I'd share more of Viktor Frankl's words.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/2782.Viktor_E_Frankl

Summer Trivia

Never give up; you never know until you try.

As summer draws to a close, many of us want to stretch those golden days out as much as we can.  Check out these bits of summer trivia:


http://www.2020site.org/fun-facts/fun-summer-facts.html

http://www.squidoo.com/summer-fun-trivia

Duh!

Never give up; you never know until you try.

Have you ever discovered that something for which you searched "high and low" was right in front of you?  Maybe you "lost" your glasses, only to "discover" them on top of your head.  You knew (some part of you did, anyway) just where they were, but you had your mind cluttered with "stuff" and couldn't "remember" where they were.  Annoying, isn't it?  If you're like me, when you "find" what was right there the whole time, you chuckle to yourself, shake your head, and continue on your way.

There's a line in "The Wizard of Oz that goes: "Professor Marvel never guesses, he knows!"

It can be frustrating when you seem to be getting nowhere in finding answers to questions of where to live, what career or job to pursue, or who to let into your life.  Many times, the answer is right in front of you, but it isn't "time" to see it.  Other times, it's brain clutter keeping you from seeing the answer.  Rest assured, though, when the time is right, if you persist, you will see the answer.  Then, like me, you'll say,"Duh!" and you'll shake your head and continue on your way.

Move On

Never give up; you never know until you try.

Maybe it's because I'm currently undergoing a big transition, but a quote recently really "spoke" to me.  It was about moving on, not dwelling on something that happened in the past.  That can be hard to do, but if we're to live the best life, the blessed one God has for us, I believe we need to "get over it," as the saying goes.

In that spirit, I suggest checking out the following:

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/moving-on

Not Just Your Reputation

Never give up; you never know until you try.

I heard a sermon recently that addressed how our actions reflect on others.  Many of us came away knowing that we could do much better than we sometimes do.  We don't want to tarnish our reputations, but we certainly don't want to reflect badly on our loved ones. 

Do you care about your reputation?  Members of groups you're affiliated with?  How about that of your friends and family?  As Christians, we ask ourselves whether Jesus would approve of our behavior and if it would reflect badly on the reputation of Christianity.  Non-Christians can consider how their behavior reflects on the reputation of their friends and family members. 

It's not just your reputation on the line when you behave badly.  Think about it.