Beautiful Angel Photo, Quote, Healing Poem Link

Psalm 91:11 - And He will give His Angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways.

From Denny: Since this particular poem was a hard write, and I'm a bit emotionally tired and saturated to say the least, here's the link to my latest poem over at The Social Poets, called Rock, My Children. Found some awesome art photos over at flickr to illustrate it!

Rock, My Children is about how to deal with loss. Never planned on writing about these experiences but lately there has been so much news about people encountering terrible loss in their lives. And, here it is the 911 anniversary, a tough day for so many folks all over the world.

When I was fishing around for inspiration I found Robin's blog Naked in Eden and some of those word phrases sprinkled throughout one of her posts just struck me right (like "abyss of emotion") and before I knew it the poem was forming in my head. Went to flickr first before writing it down as the poem was still a lot of raw emotions swirling and I needed some visual anchors.

Rock, My Children deals with loss, disappointment, and looking to the future for understanding Life's Plan. When you ask the question, you receive the answer though it may take fifteen years like it did in my case.

Received an incredibly awesome comment from fellow spiritual blogger Robin from Naked in Eden after I sent her the link to show her how she had inspired me to write the poem. Just skip on past the poem to read what she has to say it's that great! I've been grinning silly all day - and behind in my posting - since she posted that loving comment...

Rock, My Children, go here.

Funny News Video: Middle Aged Guy Puts Elderly Parents for Sale on Craigslist

From Denny: There's nothing like putting your parents up for sale to get the conversation started like this guy did! This news story sounds like a tutorial on how to do it. What started as a fun idea snowballed into a sensation. I can only imagine what his parents told their son off camera ... :)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

7 Summer Quotes

From Denny: I seem to be thinking about the ending of summer a lot lately, even wrote a poem about it: finally! Glad to have that off my plate and out of my head where thoughts of summer have been rolling around for weeks! :)

These are some lovely quotes I found on the subject of summer, some wistful in the passing of summer, some profound in their heightened awareness on a summer night, some amusing in how our culture views a time of the year that could be viewed negatively if it came at a different time.

Summer is a great time to relax and hear our creative thoughts. There is a magical quality to the summer night. Come on, even Shakespeare thought so and wrote a play for it! :) It's like a waking dream time full of promise and fun.

Have you entertained the thought to write your own summer poem before the season steals away? These quotes will get you sparked into your own creativity!

Quotes

"The summer night is like a perfection of thought." - Wallace Stephens

"In summer, the song sings itself." - William Carlos Williams

"People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy." - Anton Chekhov

"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability." - Sam Keen

"Summer afternoon: to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." - Henry James

"Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world." - Ada Louise Huxtable

"There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart." - Celia Thaxter

Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography @ flickr

7 Funny Back to School Education Quotes!

From Denny: Kids are already going back to school on the Gulf Coast to earn extra days if hurricanes or swine flu outbreaks strike. Parents are rushing around getting supplies and school uniforms. Excitement is in the air for the coming football season as this is a football crazy state: L.S.U. Tigers! (Geaux Tigers!)

To give you parents a chuckle as you decompress from all the flurry of activity starting up again, here are some enjoyable and memorable quotes about school and education, enjoy!


* If the Romans had been obliged to learn Latin, they would never have found time to conquer the world. - Heinrich Heine

* In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards. - Mark Twain

* It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. – Albert Einstein

* If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers. - Edgar W. Howe

* There are three good reasons to be a teacher - June, July, and August. - Anonymous

* Labor Day is a glorious holiday because your child will be going back to school the next day. It would have been called Independence Day, but that name was already taken. - Bill Dodds

* As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in schools. - Anonymous


Photo by Looking Glass @ flickr

Education, Kids and Teens, teachers, prayer, back to school, funny quotes, America quotes, Mark Twain, Society and Culture,

Does Happiness Elude You?

From Denny: One of the beauties of coming from a family of very long-lived people is that you don't lose the institutional memory of historical events. Another plus is that you don't lose what former generations taught in the way of good character. What is in fashion in one generation is often out of fashion in the next and, so, we lose the cultural continuity of good values.

Like in any family there were those in mine who were, well, slugs, when it came to good character. To a person they lived miserable anti-social lives, unhappy the majority of the time because they focused too much upon themselves. In my book there is nothing wrong with being good to your self. Just try to make the same good faith effort for others as you would yourself and your life is enriched!

For instance, I enjoy writing all these many blogs. It gives me a creative outlet for color, design and writing about anything and everything that interests me in this world of awesome wonders. Writing these blogs also gives me a chance to share with others as if these blogs were the ultimate social site of sharing! By sharing with others a person can enrich the lives of others while they enrich their own.

Then comes the Joy as was taught in previous generations. This kind of Joy has lain dormant for the past 25 years or so, drowned out by business greed and the drive to unbalanced excessive and financial only success. There are a lot of facets to the concept of success. Monetary wealth and accumulation is only a small part of the equation. This much power and large wealth requires the learning of real wisdom in order to not be destroyed by such power. I could get into what the ancient Kabbalists have to say about the power inherent in money and how to prepare for basically trying to grab a tiger by the tail but that would be another very long post! :)

Perhaps it's time for global society to rediscover some of the ancient wisdom of past societies, learning to appreciate the success of others as well as their own. Happiness can be an elusive creature to those who are calculating and refuse to dig deep into their hearts and offer up greater generosity to those around them. Generosity of spirit goes a long way to creating a much happier life!

Funny Dog Photo by Phil Romans @ flickr

Goethe at age 69 Image via Wikipedia

Quote

“Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though t'were his own.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German Playwright, Poet, Novelist and Dramatist. 1749-1832)

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Money, History, Family, German language, Good faith, denny lyon, Arts, Kabbalah, Literature, Kids and Teens

How Do You Handle Excessive Stress?

Interrupting GoGo's catnap to tell her about the health benefits of smiling... Image by elycefeliz via Flickr

From Denny: Every now and then you get to quote yourself which I find quite amusing! How does that happen? Well, the spiritual development people know exactly what I'm talking about as it often goes like this: You are replying to an email as I was in this instance, or, say, you were having a conversation with someone, and, suddenly, out pops this fantastic one liner. You know it's profound or memorable or just plain good advice.

There is a lot of chaos, job loss, sudden onset of health issues and violence going on right now in our economy. People are struggling with their particular life tests, looking for ways to battle or handle excessive stress.

I grew up in a harsh environment of constant stress and created a lot of coping skills to help me manage the stress instead of the stress controlling me. Here is the most recent advice my spirit jumped up and offered to a recent email friend whose husband is now out of work and lost their house of many years.

There is a lot of hurt going on throughout this country. Like anyone I have my own garbage to deal with from time to time, yet I follow my own advice as in this quote. It has never failed me.

Inevitably, the bad times begin to fade and finally end and then a new cycle of properity begins. Keep your mind and eyes on the positive - even when you know it's down the road. Eventually, you will arrive at that better point in your life.

Quote

“Keep smiling. Humor keeps your attitude pushed up and your heart wide open to sight the new opportunities coming your way.” Denny Lyon, 16 July 2009


Health, Stress, Mental health, Coping skill, Emotional Health and Wellbeing, Kids and Teens, Lyon, Support group, Denny Lyon, humor, smiling

When is Honesty a Good Virtue or Destructive?

Photo by batega @ flickr

From Denny: The word "honesty" is often batted about like a cheap tennis ball these days. Many people use it as an excuse to be cruel to others for in so doing they think they have taken away someone else's power and gained a step above the one they hurt. It's a sick dance and it's pretty amazing how many people are willing to participate in such a relationship. Too often those are close relationships like parent and child or spouses. No one seems to stop long enough to realize the destructive pattern and then they wonder why they are so unhappy in life.

Honesty does have another side to it in the form of living your own life in Truth. Often it does entail taking a long hard look in the mirror and making changes on the heart level. Honesty is a big help when you are going through that transformation process.

Honesty is best delivered first to self, then to others. And when you are thinking about delivering honesty to others ask yourself one question: Do they really want to hear this? Most times the answer is No, not really.

But what about the friend whose husband is cheating on her? Answer: You don't tell her. You know why? Because she will refuse to believe you. Then the second step is that after she finds out you were telling her the truth she will hate you for telling her. End of your relationship as she reconciles with her annoying husband. I've seen that situation play out time and time again.

We all want to desperately tell our good friends when someone is "doing them wrong." The problem is the vast majority of people are not yet ready to hear - and when they are at that place in their life when they are ready - it will be revealed without your intervention. Your job as a good friend is to wait patiently until your friend comes to you and tells you all about it, seeking comfort from you. Most people do want comfort and sympathy - and will accept it.

Quotes

"No legacy is so rich as honesty." - William Shakespeare

"Honesty is the cruelest game of all, because not only can you hurt someone - and hurt them to the bone - you can feel self-righteous about it at the same time." - Dave Van Ronk

The Happiness Philosophy

“It’s not how much we have, but how much we enjoy that makes happiness.”– Unknown

Photo by StuSeeger @ flickr

Do You Know the Main Ingredient for Courage?

Art is when the eyes follow you Image by Stephen Poff via Flickr

From Denny: This is one of those quotes where the truth is hidden in plain sight!

“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.” — James Baldwin

Funny Definition of Insanity!

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: This past century's widely acclaimed genius, Albert Einstein, was one funny guy; he saw the humor and truth in life on many levels. His following quote is so universal in application it could be applied to the math and science fields as well as the field of personal relationships. How many family and marriage dynamics have you witnessed that exhibit this same process?

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein

Below are two videos on Einstein's life. By his own admission he felt he spent his entire life trying to understand one thing: light.

Are You Any Good at Fooling Other People?

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: This is a famous quote that makes us all smile. But did you remember who actually said it? Quite the surprise to be coming from this historical figure!

"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time." - President Abraham Lincoln

What is the Most Difficult Test for a Person?

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: From a beloved President come some very wise words. And he ought to know of what he spoke; he lived it!

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." - Abraham Lincoln






A couple of very interesting articles to read too!

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• President Lincoln heard more 'No' than 'Yes' (imperfectaction.com)
• Ronald White - "A. Lincoln: A Biography" (eyeonbooks.com)

Are You Honest and Honorable with Yourself?

From New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Death of Socrates - Image by wallyg via Flickr

From Denny: I've always enjoyed a comment or two from the ancient past from the brainy Greek thinkers like Socrates. His deep thoughts have survived the test of time as well as bad translations! :)

How many of us stop long enough in our daily life to reflect upon if we are really living our lives with honor in the world? This is why I enjoy quotations so much as they are like daily meditations to give us a short checklist of what to consider as we live from moment to moment. And Socrates, well, the man not only had wit, he had game!

"The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be." - Socrates

How Smart is Your Genius?

From Denny: And this quote coming from a world renown genius! The guy had such a great sense of humor...

"The hardest thing in the world to understand is income tax." — Albert Einstein

Posting Problems

From Denny: Sunday, Monday and Tuesday have been difficult times to try and post anything. Not sure why. Could be global internet traffic is highest on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (Monday and Tuesday in American time zone). Could be the computer worm going around driving servers insane courtesy of hacker jerks that are probably mostly comprised of intelligence community guys from countries all over the world.

What I have managed to post has gotten scrambled from time to time. Sorry for the inconvenience. I always go back to proof read and catch the errors, usually within minutes of posting. Lightning storms in my area haven't helped that process and have been delayed. If you see something I didn't catch within a day or two, please feel free to let me know as it would be much appreciated!

Fun photo by gidibao @ flickr

Why People United is Better Than Contentiousness

Image via Wikipedia

"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Photo of President Lyndon Johnson and Dr. King

Below for further reading is a very practical short article well written.

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• Banish Fear Through Community (somedaysyndrome.com)

How to End War Between Nations or in the Family?

"More than an end to war, we want an end to the beginnings of all wars." - President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Photo of American soldier in Iraq by Jayel Aheram @ flickr

Communism, Democracy and Capitalism in a Tea Party

From Denny: Talk about a cheeky quote! The dinosaur silouette drawing is so appropos with the biggest dinosaur as the T-Rex. Nothing like truth and humor colliding in real life:

"In the Soviet Union, capitalism triumphed over communism. In this country, capitalism triumphed over democracy." - Fran Lebowitz

Fashion and Revolution

Image via Wikipedia

"Fashions have done more harm than revolutions." - Victor Hugo

Shakespeare on Love and relationships

This is his portrait that has been in the news lately.

William Shakespeare (via last.fm)

From Denny: Shakespeare has this enduring quality! He was a faithful reader of the Bible and often commented upon how he retold the plot lines found in the Bible. Definitely he was a man who could tell a good story or we would not still be reading and studying his work all these hundreds of years after he was gone from this Earth. His words still ring Truth.

Of course, Shakespeare has been in the news lately. They found an early portrait of him to verify how he really looked. The guy is such a publicity hound! Even he would probably find today's cultural fascination with him to be most amusing!

Here's his quote:

“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” – William Shakespeare