For Friday, September 18th, 2009

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2009


TODAY'S THOUGHT

Each day comes bearing its own gifts.
Untie the ribbons

Ruth Ann Schabacker


JUST FOR TODAY

We all need to look for the silver linings in our day-to-day lives

Just for today: I will look beyond the temporary satisfaction of material gifts and know that I am richly blessed by the gifts that matter most



TODAY’S QUOTE

A hug is a great gift - one size fits all,
and it's easy to exchange

Author Unknown

IT’S FINALLY FRIDAY !!

I am happy to report that I’ll be headed toward the camper right after work today. It’s been a long long work week and the 2 days of R & R that are ahead of me is just what is needed.

There is now a chance of rain for Sunday so I’ll be hoping it holds off til Sunday evening. Today is another mostly sunny one with highs in the low 70’s. Tomorrow should be the same.

Have a great day all ! Another wonderful one on the Way !


TODAY’S PRAYERS
Father, thank you for sending us godly friends.
Help us to be such friends to others
Amen


Please pray for God's protection of
our troops and HIS wisdom for their
commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in
your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the
selfless acts they perform for us
in our time of need. I ask this in the
name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

TODAY’S TRIVIA

September 18 is the 261st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar

There are 104 days remaining until the end of the year

1837 Tiffany and Co (first named Tiffany & Young) is founded by Charles Lewis Tiffany and Teddy Young in New York City The store is called a stationery and fancy goods emporium.

1870 Old Faithful Geyser observed and named by Henry D. Washburn during the Washburn - Langford - Doan Expedition to Yellowstone

Don’t forget: Tomorrow is Talk Like a Pirate Day



Here is how life in the United States has changed over the past 15 years:

Number of consumer magazines with "fit," "fitness," or "health" in the title:

Then: 9Now: 17

Number of health-club memberships:

Then: 17.3 millionNow: 33.8 million

Number of states in which 15 percent or more of the population is obese:

Then: 0Now: 49

Chance that someone has been diagnosed with a food allergy:

Then: less than 1 in 100Now: 1 in 20


TODAY’S SMILE

LIVING IN OHIO...

After living just about all my life in Ohio, I know how to be an Ohioan.

While I was learning, written guidelines would have been helpful. So I've written some to assist others.

1. Know the state casserole.

The state casserole consists of canned green beans, Campbell's cream of mushroom soup and dried onions. You can safely take this casserole to any social event and know that you will be accepted. In fact, Neil Armstrong almost took this casserole to the moon in case he encountered alien life there. NASA nixed the plan out of concern that the casserole would overburden the Apollo rocket at liftoff.

2. Get used to food festivals.

The Ohio General Assembly, in an effort to grow bigger offensive linemen, passed legislation years ago requiring every incorporated community to have at least one festival per year dedicated to a high-fat food. Thus, Sugarcreek honors Swiss cheese, Bucyrus has a bratwurst celebration and Gahanna, seeking an edge over other towns, has recently introduced the Triglyceride and Low-density Lipoprotein Festival. It is your duty as an Ohioan to attend these festivals and at least buy an elephant ear.

3. Know the geography.Of Florida, I mean.

I've run into Ohioans who couldn't tell you where Toledo is but they know the exact distance from Fort Myers to Bonita Springs. That's because all Ohioans go to Florida in the winter. Or plan to when they retire. Or are related to retired Ohioans who have a place in Sarasota. We consider Florida to be the Lower Peninsula of Ohio.

4. Speaking of Ohio weather . . .Wear layers or die.

The thing to remember about Ohio seasons is that they can occur at anytime. We have spring like days in January and wintry weekends in October. April is capable of providing a sampling of all four seasons in a single 24-hour period. For these reasons, Ohio is the Layering Capital of the World. Even layering, however, can pose danger. Golfers have been known to dress for hypothermia and end up dead of heat stroke because they couldn't strip off their layers of plaid fast enough on a changeable spring morning.

5. Don't take Ohio place names literally.

Upper Sandusky is below regular Sandusky. Circleville is square. East Liverpool has no counterpart to the west. Also, if a town has the same name as a foreign capital..... Lima or Berlin, for example...... you must not pronounce it that way lest you come under suspicion as a spy. Hence, it's not LEE-ma as in Peru, but LYE-ma as in bean.

6. Become mulch literate.

Ohioans love mulch and appreciate its subtle differences. Learn the difference between hardwood, cypress and pine bark at a minimum. Researchers think the state affinity for mulch derives from its relatively flat terrain. People have a subconscious need for topography, and when it can't be supplied naturally, they are more likely to make little mulch hillocks in their front yards.

7. Be knowledgeable about sports.

In order to talk sports with obsessive fans in Ohio, you have to be knowledgeable on three levels - professional, college and high school. The truly expert Ohio sports fan knows not only the name of the hotshot quarterback at Abercrombie and Fitch High School, but also what colleges he's interested in, how much he bench-presses, who he took to the prom and what he got on his biology quiz last week.

8. About trends . . .

Remember that Ohioans are never the first to embrace trends. When we do embrace them, we do so with a Midwestern pragmatism. For example, if you see an Ohioan with a nose ring, there's a good chance he's had it undercoated to guard against rust.

9. How to sell things . . .

The best way to sell something in Ohio is to attach the term "Amish" to it. The product need not be genuinely Amish. This would explain the existence of Amish moo shu pork.

I hope you found this guide to be useful. If it offends you, please let me know. I will bring a green-bean casserole to your house to make amends.

Author Unknown

TODAY’S REFLECTION

Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation

Psalm 5:1-3

The words from the Psalmist reveal one thing we do very well, and one thing we do not do so well. This is what we do very well: In the morning I lay my requests before you
Waiting for Him to respond is never easy! This is what we don't do so well:
Wait in expectation



TODAY’S ADVICE

Harvest and tie up small bundles of dried, woody-stemmed herbs like bay, lavendar, or rosemary to scent your evening fires

4 DAYS TIL FALL!


Delight yourself in the Lord

and He will give you the desires of your Heart

Psalm 37:4

May there be a miracle in YOUR life today
and may you have the EYES to SEE it!

I Love You All !!!

Be Blessed !!!

MA