I read a book back in the 90s. It was entitled Seven Habits for Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. The one thought that has always remained with me from the book is "Continuous Improvement". And I've thought about how for me my Christian Life is like that and my life as just a human as well. It's a nice thought because if you get reminded of it enough, you never get bogged down by guilt for your past mistakes. You just tell yourself, Well that was me then but now I've learned more and I'm a work in progress, I'm improving! And you kind of hold that thought with you as you go about your life being more kind to yourself and others as they are on their journey as well.
I've written down my answers to your 3 questions. I have them ready in case I get to speak. They don't have anything to do with my philosophy of continuous improvement. So I have not spilled the beans! LOL.
You've not had a large number of comments yet but I can't wait to hear everybody's responses this weekend! I will leave this. It came from my younger brother from my days of deep depression many years ago. He Said, "Smile, it makes people wonder!" And it worked! I laughed.
Oh, Marsha ~ that is my go-to book. Chapter 7: Sharpening the Saw taught me to always take care of myself so I could serve the Lord with vigor. I also love the conversation between the ship captain & the lighthouse. ha ha! Learning to shift paradigms has been so helpful in my life. Remember the story about the father & his misbehaving children on the bus? People were upset by the way they were acting -- until they found out they were coming from the hospital where their mother just died. I now have a mission statement thanks to Stephen Covey. I'm thankful I discovered him on my journey. Keep smiling! xoxo
I am 88 years old with a wonderful family. The time has come for me to be aware how blessed my life has been. I was married to the love of my life for 62 years before he died 5 years ago. We had four children who gave us 10 wonderful grandchildren that have grown up to be responsible adults who have given us at this time 16 precious great-grandchildren (another due shortly). My children are married to Christian spouses who love them very much which is the greatest comfort to me because when I'm gone from this earth I know they will have someone that loves them and will care for them as much as I do. My children and grandchildren take care of me (sometimes more than I want them to) and show me how much I mean to them. When I tell them I am ready to leave this earth, they say no they still need me and I should live to be a hundred! My greatest fear is to be a burden on them. I am healthy right now and still live in my own home and able to take care of myself but when I can't I hope the Good Lord takes me to be with my love ones in Heaven! I wish when everyone's "time has come" they could be as content as I am.
Love this, so very true, now that I’m older I’m starting to realize what I haven’t done everything I wanted to, now I’m beginning to travel to places always to & do a lot things I never did. Graham, this poem brings all things to me, life is a journey and enjoy every second of it, cause it can be gone so fast. Thanks for the beautiful poem. Much love Stay safe❤️❤️
Beautiful! The journey of life. Live it, love it, embrace it, grow with it until one day we pass on and can Feel peace from a journey well done and be welcomed into our new everlasting journey. Thank you Graham.
I love, love this poem Graham because it is so true. It doesn't matter how old we are, while we are still here on this Earth, we are growing and learning something new each & every day. I can't express how much I've learned and grown in my faith in God over the last eight months since I've subscribed to be a part of this community. Wow, what a ride it has been. I wouldn't trade it for anything else. While yes, it is like you said good to have goals, it is also good to take time, rest, be still, breathe in, meditate or pay attention to see where the journey of life takes us. Our mindset also plays a significant part on our soul. All of us have our flaws which is mostly due to pride that can deeply affect the mindset, but if we look to God, etc., to guide us, the growth we experience can absolutely be wonderful. Thank you for this beautiful poem. I am glad I'll be able to make Saturday's zoom call as I missed the last one. Blessings to all, and hope you have a wonderful week! 🙏😃 I left this same comment over on the Time Has Come Network also.
Sometimes the struggle has been too hard to endure. Hard to recover from. I felt like a failure. Feared not being able to cross the divide and fulfil my adventure.
I was tested again, in a way I never imagined. The physical pain came out of nowhere and was so intense. I almost gave up hope. After one failed attempt, I didn't want to fail another.
I felt cursed.
A different adventure, but the fear of failure was there. I pushed myself, though doubts tried to persuade me to give up.
The physical pain changed and made it difficult to walk. It was almost too much.
Determined to push through, I threw my doubts aside and started my new adventure.
Upon arrival, I felt the tug to turn around as the pain, both physically and emotionally, pulled every ounce of my being to leave and never return. It was too much. I could barely move.
But, I didn't give up, I rested and calmed myself to find a solution. I sacrificed part of my adventure to allow my body to rest and to toss out the negative thoughts. To replace them with the positive. I had made it this far and could feel the tug of the passion inside of me.
I found solutions to help my pain and reconciled myself to go at a slower pace. To take my time and not push too hard. To listen to my body.
In the past, I would never have done this. I would have been too ambitious and pushed past my limits.
So now I am able to enjoy myself. It's a completely different experience than planned, but I made it. I took the time to really listen and learn.
I am proud that I worked around the obstacles and didn't give up.
Graham ~ As I said on THC, your lovely poem today reminded me that it’s ok to take a break from all the soul searching I’ve been doing in recent months. I’m going to pull over for a pit stop & dive into some mundane housework that needs done and a Benefit show I am producing.
I’ve pulled over at a rest stop before on my life -long journey, especially the time one of my blunt, pragmatic friends said, “Why don’t you just live life instead of analyzing it all the time.” Ha ha! 😂
I will still enjoy watching the “passing cars” though. 😘 xoxo
So as Ty said to Caleb once in Heartland, “It’s not a breakup; it’s a break.”
So beautifully written. I needed to here this poem. It resonates right where I'm at. Patience, love and stepping out of my comfort zone. I need to work on uncertainty/fear in what the next step in my life will be. Thank you Graham for sharing.
Graham, thanks for the reflective poem and question. My soul journey has been filled with ups, downs, joy, heartbreak, excitement, sadness, happiness, searching for answers, and learning along the way. This past year my journey has been filled with learning to listen to the guide inside me. As I’ve shared before my heart had been heavy for many years, when I finally listened and followed the signs, I’ve found the inner peace I had lost. I’m continuing to learn, listen and follow the journey God has for me. Am still reflecting on the questions for the chat this weekend.
Thank you for sharing poem. You are talented and amazing young man. This stage in my life I just take one day at a time. Blessings to you on your journey. I just remind myself if Bible verse Luke 12: 27 or Matthew 6:25-34
I have always loved to travel and have been lucky enough to experience some magical places. Every place I have been on my journey in life has left me with a deep appreciation for what God created here for us to enjoy, if we just let it in. My fondest memories always include the many people I get to meet and learning about their lives. I'm a little envious of your van life that you are living right now. Go where life takes you and appreciate every moment of it. Like you said, there's no rush. Make it about the journey, not getting from point A to point B. At least that's how I am, which I think annoys some people I travel with at times. But I'm not going to change. I often wonder why everyone is in such a hurry. It's exhausting. There is so much to see and enjoy.
Hope you get to continue to enjoy your road trip and stay in touch while traveling. Loved this poem.
This beautiful poem, Graham, is a real soul searcher. It resonates with every cell of my being. Just when I think you have given us one of your best- wham! Another one of your literary creations bursts open our hearts with love and understanding of a whole other level of living! Talking about a journey of the soul! Wow! Thank you, Graham!
I love this poem Graham because it has so much truth in it!! Before time began God existed. He knew all about us before the foundation of the world was every laid. He knew me and He had a plan and a purpose for me. Wow! Before I was ever conceived He knew me, He knew who and what I would become. He knew all about me. How do I see the journey of my soul? That is a hard question to answer? Because I know when I close my eyes in death I will be in the presence of my Heavenly Father Jesus Christ. When my soul leaves my body I will be present with the Lord. That is the journey of my soul.
When I was a little girl I had all these dreams and visions about all kinds of things I wanted in life. But God had other plans for my life. I ended up on a different path. I wouldn't go back and change it for anything. The only thing I would change if I could would be to not quit school. I would stay in school. I gave my heart and life to Jesus Christ a long time ago and that is the path I am on right now. To live and serve Him for as long as He sees fit for me to do so. I love being around my church family. I teach k- 3 grade in Team Kids on Wednesday nights and that brings joy to my heart. This life is all about God! He is the reason for everything! We would not be here if it wasn't for Him. When He put us here he had a plan for each one of us, a purpose. All we have to do is follow Him let Him guide us. That is what I am doing!
I am not going to say that life is always easy. It is not! It can be hard and tough, but it can also be soft as a pillow and light as a feather. I start each day with a prayer and Bible study. I listen to what the Lord has to say and I try to follow what He tells me. I am not always successful. Life does have it's ups and downs. Sometimes things happen that is out if our control. I have leary time take the good with the bad. I can say this life has been good to me! I am married to the love of my life now for 45 years and I have three children that are dear to my heart. I have 4 grandchildren who are so very special to me and I love with all my heart. I have my family and my church family that I love with all my heart. Family is everything to me. I have been truly blessed!!! I never know what each day will bring but I just trust the Lord to get me through it and He does. I just keep on going in the direction He want me to go. I am on the road to heaven and one day I will get there. I don't have a hope so faith, I have a know so faith. That is what keeps me going. Hallelujah praise the Lord! Iife is like the song God On The Mountain: Life is easy when your upon the mountain and you've got peace of mind, like you've never known But when things change and you're down in the valley Don't lose faith, for you're never alone.
And the God on the mountain is still God in the valley when things go wrong He'll make them right and the God of the good times is still God in the bad times the God of the day is still God in the night.
We talk of faith when we're up on the mountain, but talk comes easy when life's at it's best
But in the valley of trials and temptation
Thats when faith is really put to the test.
And the God of the mountain is still God if the valley. When things go wrong He'll make them right. And the God of the good times is still God of the bad times. God of the day is still God of the night.
That is how life is. If you get a chance listen to this song. It is so true!
I don't know if this is the response you are looking for about your poem. But it is the only response I know to give you. It just flows from my heart and onto the page. I hope you love my response!
Thank you again for the poem! I loved it very very much! I love hearing from you each week!!! You always inspire me! You are right where you are supposed to be. That is where God put you!!! I pray for you daily and I hope to see you someday either here or in heavey!!! 🙏❤😇🥰😘
Beautifully written Graham love this week poem. I start my self belief is a positive tonic that helps grow beyond my dreams. God has already given me the power to face everything that is going to come my way. My beautification is done last month. I am VICTORIOUS! BREATH LIFE...today I am believing !Today pour out kindness for we are all battling a war unbeknown to others.Cheers
Graham... Thank you for the poem, he gives us strength and determination...
You, as always, are aligned with your heart... Your charisma enchants us...❤️🔥
Align Your Heart...
Let him guide you...
He will take you to the deepest place of your being...
He will reveal the love inside you...
He will tell you the most beautiful secret of your soul...
We Are Becoming
We Are Becoming...
Being of light, traveling between clouds and waterfalls, which allows us to be strong and determined.
Dreams and desires are fulfilled
Loves and praises are lived
Flavors and desires are experienced
We are equal...
We are homogeneous ...
We are unique.
Details of a life, lived with intensity:
Of love, hate, desires, and accomplishments...
Paths trodden with firm feet that lead us to paradise.
We are the universe...
There are no barriers to our wanting
There is no impediment, for those who are determined.
"To be happy, is to be with you"...
Infinite blessings ✌️ ✌️ India 💙 🇧🇷
I read a book back in the 90s. It was entitled Seven Habits for Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. The one thought that has always remained with me from the book is "Continuous Improvement". And I've thought about how for me my Christian Life is like that and my life as just a human as well. It's a nice thought because if you get reminded of it enough, you never get bogged down by guilt for your past mistakes. You just tell yourself, Well that was me then but now I've learned more and I'm a work in progress, I'm improving! And you kind of hold that thought with you as you go about your life being more kind to yourself and others as they are on their journey as well.
I've written down my answers to your 3 questions. I have them ready in case I get to speak. They don't have anything to do with my philosophy of continuous improvement. So I have not spilled the beans! LOL.
You've not had a large number of comments yet but I can't wait to hear everybody's responses this weekend! I will leave this. It came from my younger brother from my days of deep depression many years ago. He Said, "Smile, it makes people wonder!" And it worked! I laughed.
Oh, Marsha ~ that is my go-to book. Chapter 7: Sharpening the Saw taught me to always take care of myself so I could serve the Lord with vigor. I also love the conversation between the ship captain & the lighthouse. ha ha! Learning to shift paradigms has been so helpful in my life. Remember the story about the father & his misbehaving children on the bus? People were upset by the way they were acting -- until they found out they were coming from the hospital where their mother just died. I now have a mission statement thanks to Stephen Covey. I'm thankful I discovered him on my journey. Keep smiling! xoxo
I am 88 years old with a wonderful family. The time has come for me to be aware how blessed my life has been. I was married to the love of my life for 62 years before he died 5 years ago. We had four children who gave us 10 wonderful grandchildren that have grown up to be responsible adults who have given us at this time 16 precious great-grandchildren (another due shortly). My children are married to Christian spouses who love them very much which is the greatest comfort to me because when I'm gone from this earth I know they will have someone that loves them and will care for them as much as I do. My children and grandchildren take care of me (sometimes more than I want them to) and show me how much I mean to them. When I tell them I am ready to leave this earth, they say no they still need me and I should live to be a hundred! My greatest fear is to be a burden on them. I am healthy right now and still live in my own home and able to take care of myself but when I can't I hope the Good Lord takes me to be with my love ones in Heaven! I wish when everyone's "time has come" they could be as content as I am.
That is just beautiful. They are so blessed to have you and you to have them.
Thank you!
Blessings to you!
Thank you!
Love this, so very true, now that I’m older I’m starting to realize what I haven’t done everything I wanted to, now I’m beginning to travel to places always to & do a lot things I never did. Graham, this poem brings all things to me, life is a journey and enjoy every second of it, cause it can be gone so fast. Thanks for the beautiful poem. Much love Stay safe❤️❤️
Beautiful! The journey of life. Live it, love it, embrace it, grow with it until one day we pass on and can Feel peace from a journey well done and be welcomed into our new everlasting journey. Thank you Graham.
I love, love this poem Graham because it is so true. It doesn't matter how old we are, while we are still here on this Earth, we are growing and learning something new each & every day. I can't express how much I've learned and grown in my faith in God over the last eight months since I've subscribed to be a part of this community. Wow, what a ride it has been. I wouldn't trade it for anything else. While yes, it is like you said good to have goals, it is also good to take time, rest, be still, breathe in, meditate or pay attention to see where the journey of life takes us. Our mindset also plays a significant part on our soul. All of us have our flaws which is mostly due to pride that can deeply affect the mindset, but if we look to God, etc., to guide us, the growth we experience can absolutely be wonderful. Thank you for this beautiful poem. I am glad I'll be able to make Saturday's zoom call as I missed the last one. Blessings to all, and hope you have a wonderful week! 🙏😃 I left this same comment over on the Time Has Come Network also.
Thank you for this wonderful poem it goes straight to the heart as you always do ❤️❤️
I have been tested, time and time again.
Sometimes the struggle has been too hard to endure. Hard to recover from. I felt like a failure. Feared not being able to cross the divide and fulfil my adventure.
I was tested again, in a way I never imagined. The physical pain came out of nowhere and was so intense. I almost gave up hope. After one failed attempt, I didn't want to fail another.
I felt cursed.
A different adventure, but the fear of failure was there. I pushed myself, though doubts tried to persuade me to give up.
The physical pain changed and made it difficult to walk. It was almost too much.
Determined to push through, I threw my doubts aside and started my new adventure.
Upon arrival, I felt the tug to turn around as the pain, both physically and emotionally, pulled every ounce of my being to leave and never return. It was too much. I could barely move.
But, I didn't give up, I rested and calmed myself to find a solution. I sacrificed part of my adventure to allow my body to rest and to toss out the negative thoughts. To replace them with the positive. I had made it this far and could feel the tug of the passion inside of me.
I found solutions to help my pain and reconciled myself to go at a slower pace. To take my time and not push too hard. To listen to my body.
In the past, I would never have done this. I would have been too ambitious and pushed past my limits.
So now I am able to enjoy myself. It's a completely different experience than planned, but I made it. I took the time to really listen and learn.
I am proud that I worked around the obstacles and didn't give up.
Graham ~ As I said on THC, your lovely poem today reminded me that it’s ok to take a break from all the soul searching I’ve been doing in recent months. I’m going to pull over for a pit stop & dive into some mundane housework that needs done and a Benefit show I am producing.
I’ve pulled over at a rest stop before on my life -long journey, especially the time one of my blunt, pragmatic friends said, “Why don’t you just live life instead of analyzing it all the time.” Ha ha! 😂
I will still enjoy watching the “passing cars” though. 😘 xoxo
So as Ty said to Caleb once in Heartland, “It’s not a breakup; it’s a break.”
So beautifully written. I needed to here this poem. It resonates right where I'm at. Patience, love and stepping out of my comfort zone. I need to work on uncertainty/fear in what the next step in my life will be. Thank you Graham for sharing.
Graham, thanks for the reflective poem and question. My soul journey has been filled with ups, downs, joy, heartbreak, excitement, sadness, happiness, searching for answers, and learning along the way. This past year my journey has been filled with learning to listen to the guide inside me. As I’ve shared before my heart had been heavy for many years, when I finally listened and followed the signs, I’ve found the inner peace I had lost. I’m continuing to learn, listen and follow the journey God has for me. Am still reflecting on the questions for the chat this weekend.
Thank you for sharing poem. You are talented and amazing young man. This stage in my life I just take one day at a time. Blessings to you on your journey. I just remind myself if Bible verse Luke 12: 27 or Matthew 6:25-34
I have always loved to travel and have been lucky enough to experience some magical places. Every place I have been on my journey in life has left me with a deep appreciation for what God created here for us to enjoy, if we just let it in. My fondest memories always include the many people I get to meet and learning about their lives. I'm a little envious of your van life that you are living right now. Go where life takes you and appreciate every moment of it. Like you said, there's no rush. Make it about the journey, not getting from point A to point B. At least that's how I am, which I think annoys some people I travel with at times. But I'm not going to change. I often wonder why everyone is in such a hurry. It's exhausting. There is so much to see and enjoy.
Hope you get to continue to enjoy your road trip and stay in touch while traveling. Loved this poem.
This beautiful poem, Graham, is a real soul searcher. It resonates with every cell of my being. Just when I think you have given us one of your best- wham! Another one of your literary creations bursts open our hearts with love and understanding of a whole other level of living! Talking about a journey of the soul! Wow! Thank you, Graham!
I love this poem Graham because it has so much truth in it!! Before time began God existed. He knew all about us before the foundation of the world was every laid. He knew me and He had a plan and a purpose for me. Wow! Before I was ever conceived He knew me, He knew who and what I would become. He knew all about me. How do I see the journey of my soul? That is a hard question to answer? Because I know when I close my eyes in death I will be in the presence of my Heavenly Father Jesus Christ. When my soul leaves my body I will be present with the Lord. That is the journey of my soul.
When I was a little girl I had all these dreams and visions about all kinds of things I wanted in life. But God had other plans for my life. I ended up on a different path. I wouldn't go back and change it for anything. The only thing I would change if I could would be to not quit school. I would stay in school. I gave my heart and life to Jesus Christ a long time ago and that is the path I am on right now. To live and serve Him for as long as He sees fit for me to do so. I love being around my church family. I teach k- 3 grade in Team Kids on Wednesday nights and that brings joy to my heart. This life is all about God! He is the reason for everything! We would not be here if it wasn't for Him. When He put us here he had a plan for each one of us, a purpose. All we have to do is follow Him let Him guide us. That is what I am doing!
I am not going to say that life is always easy. It is not! It can be hard and tough, but it can also be soft as a pillow and light as a feather. I start each day with a prayer and Bible study. I listen to what the Lord has to say and I try to follow what He tells me. I am not always successful. Life does have it's ups and downs. Sometimes things happen that is out if our control. I have leary time take the good with the bad. I can say this life has been good to me! I am married to the love of my life now for 45 years and I have three children that are dear to my heart. I have 4 grandchildren who are so very special to me and I love with all my heart. I have my family and my church family that I love with all my heart. Family is everything to me. I have been truly blessed!!! I never know what each day will bring but I just trust the Lord to get me through it and He does. I just keep on going in the direction He want me to go. I am on the road to heaven and one day I will get there. I don't have a hope so faith, I have a know so faith. That is what keeps me going. Hallelujah praise the Lord! Iife is like the song God On The Mountain: Life is easy when your upon the mountain and you've got peace of mind, like you've never known But when things change and you're down in the valley Don't lose faith, for you're never alone.
And the God on the mountain is still God in the valley when things go wrong He'll make them right and the God of the good times is still God in the bad times the God of the day is still God in the night.
We talk of faith when we're up on the mountain, but talk comes easy when life's at it's best
But in the valley of trials and temptation
Thats when faith is really put to the test.
And the God of the mountain is still God if the valley. When things go wrong He'll make them right. And the God of the good times is still God of the bad times. God of the day is still God of the night.
That is how life is. If you get a chance listen to this song. It is so true!
I don't know if this is the response you are looking for about your poem. But it is the only response I know to give you. It just flows from my heart and onto the page. I hope you love my response!
Thank you again for the poem! I loved it very very much! I love hearing from you each week!!! You always inspire me! You are right where you are supposed to be. That is where God put you!!! I pray for you daily and I hope to see you someday either here or in heavey!!! 🙏❤😇🥰😘
Beautifully written Graham love this week poem. I start my self belief is a positive tonic that helps grow beyond my dreams. God has already given me the power to face everything that is going to come my way. My beautification is done last month. I am VICTORIOUS! BREATH LIFE...today I am believing !Today pour out kindness for we are all battling a war unbeknown to others.Cheers