ON THE BRIGHT SIDE: For Monday, February 4th, 2013

THE BRIGHT SIDE

Decide to be happy today, to live with what is yours – your family, your business, your job, your luck. If you can’t have what you like, maybe you can like what you have.

Just for today, be kind, cheerful, agreeable, responsive, caring, and understanding. Be your best, dress your best, talk softly, and look for the bright side of things. Praise people for what they do and do not criticize them for what they cannot do. If someone does something stupid, forgive and forget. After all, it’s just for one day.

Who knows, it might turn out to be a nice day.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

I'm looking out the window
and the day is drab and dreary,
And I'm trying to console myself
by thinking something cheery
I know it's simply horrible
to get in such a slump
And I also know it's up to me
to get across the hump
And I realize I'm selfish
to mention this to you
For, gee, you might be feeling
a little 'low-down' too
but often when I feel like this
I tell myself it's true
That I am not the only one
who feels 'low-down and blue'
And just knowing there are others
who feel the way I do
Renews my sinking spirit
and keeps me smiling through
and know that it's natural
to take a 'spirit-dive'
Provides the spunk and courage
to hang on and survive
And while there are a lot of moods
that we can drive away
by looking on the BRIGHT SIDE
in all we do and say,
There also is a loneliness
that God meant us to feel
But, gee, it sure is mighty hard
to know which one is real
And I'd hate to be a 'sad sack'
who never saw the sun
And just complained that every day
was such a dreary one.
But I know that all the dark days
are just part of God's plan
We should accept them graciously
and do the best we can...
So I'll just keep on trying
for I know it's 'Gospel true'
there never was a cloud so dark
the sun could not shine through!

by Helen Steiner Rice

On the Bright Side Newsletter

I send this little letter out each morning to all my family and friends and even to a few people that I've never met. Many of them send it on to others too. So in order to make it available to more people I post the 'brighter side' of the news here each day in this journal.

The letter began as an effort to keep in touch with my family as they are spread out in all directions. My family, friends and God are the most important things in my life.

You'll find quotes, poems and stories and even a few recipes included in this newsletter. I try to find something new each day to share.

In a world that very often publishes only the dark side of things I felt that others would be encouraged to hear about
'the bright side'.

'On Ya'-ma

Monday, February 4, 2013

For Monday, February 4th, 2013

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

FEBRUARY 4th, 2013

44 DAYS UNTIL SPRING

If you can't see the Bright Side, polish the dull side

It's MONDAY

NATIONAL HOMEMADE SOUP DAY

On this day we are encouraged to get back to homemade comfort foods like homemade soup. There's nothing more comforting and homey than a nice pot of homemade soup simmering on the stove top . Don't waste your time opening a can soup today. On National Homemade Soup Day, remember your favorite homemade soup recipes, pick one and celebrate by making your family a pot of the real stuff. Real Homemade Soup!

Grandma was right, after all: Chicken soup is good for the cold, not just the soul.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

For many of us, soup is comfort food, especially when the temperature drops.

Soup lovers across America consume more than 10 billion bowls of soup each year. It seems that the two most popular soups are chicken noodle and tomato. I love them both but today I'm sharing a recipe for tomato soup with dumplings. I haven't tried this one yet, but I saw it the other day and thought it would be something good to try.

1 can tomato soup
1 soup can water
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup Bisquick
1/3 cup milk

Saute chopped onion, garlic and celery in olive oil, then remove from pan. You can use the dutch oven in which you will be cooking the soup and dumplings. Empty tomato soup and 1 can of water into dutch oven or other lidded large pan, needs lots of surface area for the dumplings. Heat to boiling over medium heat.

While soup is warming, place 1 cup Bisquick mix in medium mixing bowl; add onion, garlic, celery and cheese. Mix to coat cheese and veggies. Add milk and stir together. It'll be crumbly at first, but you probably won't need extra milk.

When soup comes to a boil, spoon dumpling mixture into soup and cook uncovered for 10 minutes; reduce heat and cook covered for another 10 minutes.

Sounds very easy and very good. Enjoy some soup today!

Have a great Monday everyone!

COUNTING MY GIFTS

Soup is universal. Spice it up, tone it down, keep it simple or load it with ingredients. The results are the same: Warm or cold, it’s comfort in a cup.

I am trying to count at least 3 things I'm thankful for each day and then in 1 year's time I'll have counted 1000 gifts.

I’ll be sharing them and giving thanks to God for these gifts each day,

243. for soup. Soup is a must-have for chilly winter days and to battle anything that ails you

244. for variety, the spice of life

245. for quick and easy meals to fix on busy days

Enter into His courts with thanksgiving — and in His presence is fullness of Joy!

PRAYER FOR OUR TROOPS

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.

AND bless our Police Officers, Firefighters

and Paramedics and EMT's

GOD BLESS YOU ALL !

When the soup is good, everything is good...

A little smile, a word of cheer,
A bit of love from someone dear…

Love,

3 comments:

linda m said...: Thanks for sharing the soup recipe - sure sounds good. Now I will have to make some homemade chicken soup - my favorite. Blessings!; February 4, 2013 at 8:50 AM
Andrea said...: Ma, that tomato soup with dumplings sounds absolutely delicious!! Thanks for sharing the recipe... I'm going to try it... maybe tonight!!

Thank you for your always-cheerful posts. They brighten my day!

--Andrea
XOXOXO; February 4, 2013 at 9:21 AM
betty said...: I think I'm going to have to try this tomato soup one Ma; never thought of tomatoes and dumplings together like this. We like soup; I agree having it on a cold winter day helps warm one up!

betty; February 4, 2013 at 9:58 AM

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For Monday, February 4th, 2013

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