Most of us ASK God for help.

I also THANK God for my many blessings.

So, I believe we should do both kinds of praying, ASKING & THANKING.

When we think of praying, it’s always to ask for help of some kind.

There is a biblical story of ten lepers who were cured by Jesus.

Only one returned to THANK Him.

When Jesus asked about the other nine, there was no answer.

Every day, I’m suggesting that you should include prayers of THANKS for your blessings.

If not today, when?

Many people do.

There is a name for it, (SAD) Seasonal Affective Disorder.

It is a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern.

It is sometimes known as “Winter depression.”

Its symptoms are more apparent during winter.

My wife loves winter! The more snow, the better.

Me, not so much.

It’s an important question.

The answer, however, can be complicated.

If you feel your parent(s) did a good job of preparing you for life, you may want to emulate their style.

And you may copy their style consciously or unconsciously.

If, however, the parenting you received did not prepare you properly, are you repeating it?

If you are a single parent, are you free to parent in your style while perhaps having to share the job with an absent partner?

The extra demands of single parenthood may, however, cause you to cope with those demands while attempting to be the best parent you can be.

Also, in a two parent household, you and your partner were probably parented differently.

This will call for a meeting of the minds on how to handle the many situations that will occur.

We all make mistakes as parents. There are so many ways to raise children and the vast majority are successful.

Be aware that the misuse of social media may be a bad and competing influence on your child.

Do your best. Continue to learn and study how to be a good parent.

Select good, positive role models and above all EXPRESS YOUR LOVE FOR THEM EVERY DAY

The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the driest places on Earth, but swaths of its usually barren sand are currently carpeted with a colorful bloom of white and purple flowers.

It’s known as the Disierto Florida (the “flowering desert”) because every few years it’s blanketed with flowers.

It only happens when the right levels of rainfall and temperature coincide to awaken dormant desert seeds. (CNN)

YOU CAN BLOOM TOO!

Regardless of your age, you can re-awaken yourself.

At age 82, I began walking every morning and I have a weight lifting routine.

I’m stronger and have more energy than I did 10 years ago.

If those desert seeds CAN WAKE UP, so can you!

If not today, when?

No one gets off easy.

We have all taken a hit either by our doing or someone else’s.

The worst pain is an act of betrayal by a trusted friend.

Betrayal brings disappointment and anger.

All you can do is be more discerning with those you trust.

And keep on marching!

I also started a new business with an exciting concept.

But, I didn’t implement it properly and it failed BIG TIME!

Honestly, it took me a while to get over it.

But, I kept on marching!

What should you do when your dreams fall apart?

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!

And “Keep on marching!”

If not today, when?

Our oldest son and his wife were at a County Fair last Friday evening.

He heard a lady scream and saw that a baby being held by her husband was choking and could not breathe.

Her husband tried to clean out the child’s mouth with his finger.

Another person grabbed the baby and attempted the Heimlich Maneuver.

It wasn’t working.

A third person grabbed the chilld and performed the technique shown above.

The blockage flew out of the baby’s mouth and it was breathing again.

The hero returned the baby to its father and disappeared.

It just took hard hits between the shoulder blades.

Thanks to our son for sharing this story with us!

We all have good ideas we’d like to pursue.

And we may take a few steps to make that idea happen.

But the important question is, “Do you persevere?”

… Till your dream is accomplished?

It doesn’t have to be in pursuit of a dream.

It could simply be a task that is important to you.

Right now, do you have a task you have allowed to let languish?

Get it done!

If not today, when?

Deep inside Earth is a solid metal ball that rotates independently of our spinning planet, like a top whirling around inside a bigger top, shrouded in mystery.

This inner core has intrigued researchers since its discovery by Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann in 1936.

Is rotation, speed and direction — have been at the center of a decades-long debate.

A growing body of evidence suggests the core’s spin has changed dramatically in recent years, but scientists have remained divided over what exactly is happening — and what it means.

One promising model proposed in 2023 described an inner core that in the past had spun faster than Earth itself, but was now spinning slower.

Then it slowed even more, until the core was moving BACKWARD relative to the fluid layers around it.

All the signatories of the Declaration of Independence risked their lives in so doing!

We were still at war with England.

If England had won that war, all those who signed would have been hunted down.

Would you have wanted freedom so much that you would have signed?

Let’s remember that this holiday is not about alcohol & barbecues.

It’s about the courage of those who came before us.

Always remember, FREEDOM IS NOT FREE!

What has been your habit when making a decision?

Is your first impulse to keep risk to a minimum?

Or do you weigh all the alternatives before deciding?

How has your decision-making technique worked out for you?

Do you regret missed opportunities because you were too cautious?

Or, do you regret taking too big of a risk sometimes?

I am not trying to persuade in one direction or another.

But, is it about time you evaluated your use of risk?

If not today, when?