Spiritual Thoughts

  E very day we are given small opportunities to bring someone joy that can make a huge difference in a life . ~ Delilah (radio host) H ow lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and  brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation! ~ Isaiah 52:7

  P lant a seed of friendship; reap a bouquet of happiness. ~ Lois L. Kaufman A  friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity. The sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. ~ Proverbs 17:17 and 27:9

  H appiness is essentially a state of going somewhere, whole-heartedly, one-directionally, without regret or reservation. ~ William H. Sheldon T he hope of the righteous is gladness, BUT the expectation of the wicked perishes. The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright. ~ Proverbs 10:28-29

  H appiness is not something that you get in life. Happiness is something you bring to life! ~ Wayne W. Dyer H ow blessed is the man who finds wisdom and  the man who gains understanding.  She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,  and happy are all who hold her fast. ~ Proverbs 3:13, 18

H appiness never decreases  by being shared.  ~ Gautama   H ow beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation,  who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." ~ Isaiah 52:7

T he very first condition of lasting happiness is that a life should be full of purpose, aiming at something outside self.  ~ Hugo Black   B lessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose , which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth . ~ Ephesians 1:3, 9-10 (ESV)

M any persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attached through self-gratification, BUT through fidelity to a worthy purpose . ~ Helen Keller   N ow may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that with one purpose and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ Romans 15:5-6

H appiness is a choice. You grieve, you stomp your feet, you pick yourself up and choose to be happy. ~ Lucy Lawless   Y our words are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. ~ Psalm 119:111

  Friday Tale ~ Road to Happiness   W hen I travel on business, I like to talk to the taxi drivers who take me from the airport to my hotel, or to a convention center, or to a restaurant. Taxi drivers are often immigrants with interesting personal histories and unusual cultural backgrounds. I ask them how long they've been in America, how they chose which city to live in, and what they like best about where they live. Of course, I also ask them for advice on good local restaurants and any special attractions they'd recommend to a visitor. I've had some great experiences on my travels, thanks to the advice of taxi drivers!     On one trip about ten years ago, I was making conversation with the taxi driver, asking him my usual questions about how he came to live where he lived. Then I asked him a hypothetical question: "if you could live anywhere in the world—and if money was no object—where would you live?"   ...

  Friday Tale - Things to Know   1. H appiness takes work. You can’t be lazy or entitled to achieve it.  2.     You will make mistakes and they will only define you if you give it that kind of power. If the lesson is learned, the mistake is worth it. It’s your choice whether or not it wins. You are not a prisoner to your past and you are allowed to grow. 3.     The world owes you nothing. It does not care who you are, where you come from or what you think you deserve. Everything you achieve will have to come from your own dedication to what you love. It will not be handed to you easily. 4.     People do not get to tell you who you are. Make peace with your own soul and give no one the power to tell you that you’re something you’re not. Know who you are and be okay when others do not understand you.  5.     Work hard. Never go into anything with half your heart. Respect is earned...

  I 've learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances. ~ Martha Washington   F or a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather be a door keeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of sinful people. For the LORD God is a sun and shield, no good thing does He withhold from those who walk blameless. ~ Psalm 84:10-11

  C ommon man's patience will bring  him more happiness than common man's power. ~ Abu Bakr   I implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another. ~ Ephesians 4:1-2

  M ay a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue. And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through. ~ Irish Blessing   T he LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; The LORD life up His countenance on you and give you peace. ~ Numbers 6:27-28

  I n my life I've learned that true happiness comes from giving. Helping others along the way makes you evaluate who you are. I think that love is what we're all searching for. I have not come across anyone who didn't become a better person through love. ~ Marla Gibbs T hanks be to God for His  inexpressible gift! ~ 2 Corinthians 9:15

  H appiness is not a brilliant climax to years of grim struggle and anxiety. It is a long succession of little decisions to simply be happy in the moment. ~ J. Donald Walters   B ehold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.  ~ Job 5:17

T he art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from the common every-day things. ~ Henry Ward Beecher   G o then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has approved your work. ~ Ecclesiastes 9:7

  H appiness is something you decide on ahead of time. It's a decision you make every morning when you wake up. You have a choice - you can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty you have with parts of your body that don't work, OR, get out of bed and be thankful for the parts that do work. Each day is a  gift, and as long  as your eyes are open  you can focus on the new day and the  happiness you've had in your life. ~ Author Unknown   W ho is the one who fears the LORD? God will teach him through His word in the way he should choose.  ~ Psalm 25:12

N o one is in control of your happiness  BUT you; therefore, you have the power  to change anything about yourself or  your life that you want to change. ~ Barbara de Angelis   I call heaven and earth to witness today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. SO choose life in order that you might live, you and your descendants.  ~ Deuteronomy 30:19

D o not run after happiness, BUT seek to do good, and you will find that happiness will run after you. ~ James Freeman Clarke G o your way, eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, if you are righteous, wise and in the hands of God; for God has already approved and accepted your works. ~ Ecclesiastes 9:7 (AMP)

Friday Tale - No Limits L ife is unlimited. Your world expands with the generosity, compassion, inventiveness, and service that you contribute. Money that is spent or given away returns multiplied. The more love that is given, the more love returns. The more a helping hand is given, the more hands are strengthened and empowered to help. We can help each other. We can all have love and happiness. ~ JLH H ow lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, "Your God reigns!". ~ Isaiah 52:7