When I was doing my devotion this morning I read this quote:

Don’t ever become so busy that you fail to realize how very happy you are!

That statement really made me stop and think. As a business owner I’m busy. Besides owning and running a successful business I volunteer for the middle school ministry at church, I’m an Aunt, I keep a house running, and I try to have a life. There are times when I can barely see straight for all the things I have on my plate. It’s important that even in the midst of all that busyness that I (and you probably too) remember how truly HAPPY I am.

Yes, my work is busy and stressful at times. Yes there are times after “work hours” when my office calls to me and I know I should do a little more work. Yes, I know that sometimes obligations or busyness gets in the way of my having fun. But, still, I’m HAPPY.

• I’m happy that God has given me a business that I can support myself with.
• I’m happy that God gave me friends that I can share time with.
• I’m happy that God gave me a group of middle schoolers that I can minister to,
• I’m happy that God gave me a house that keeps me warm, comfortable and provides a place to entertain my friends.
• I’m even happy that God gave me my obnoxious upstairs neighbor who shares his love of music and midnight cleanings with me. (OK, I need to keep thinking on that one but maybe if I look at it that way I’ll actually come to not dislike him SO much.)

So, remember don’t ever become so busy that you fail to realize how very happy you are!

The whole, vast world is incomplete without me. Creation reached its zenith in me. 
Stasi Eldredge - Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul

The Two Pots
By Author Unknown (thanks to Pam for submitting)

A Water Bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole, which he carried across his neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years, this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes my water to leak out all the way back to your house.”

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, we would not have such beauty.”

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

You’ve just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

…because I definitely need something to lighten MY day.

What, you ask, is “Butt Dust”? Read on and you’ll discover the joy in a child’s sincere originality. No adult is this creative!!

JACK (age 3) was watching his Mom breast-feeding his new baby sister. After a while he asked: “Mom why have you got two? Is one for hot and one for cold milk?”

MELANIE (age 5) asked her Granny how old she was. Granny replied she was so old she didn’t remember any more. Melanie said, “If you don’t remember you must look in the back of your panties. Mine say five to six .”

STEVEN (age 3) hugged and kissed his Mom good night. “I love you so much that when you die I’m going to bury you outside my bedroom window.”

BRITTANY (age 4) had an earache and wanted a pain killer. She tried in vain to take the lid off the bottle. Seeing her frustration, her Mom explained it was a child-proof cap and she’d have to open it for her. Eyes wide with wonder, the little girl asked: “How does it know it’s me?”

SUSAN(age 4) was drinking juice when she got the hiccups. “Please don’t give me this juice again,” she said, “It makes my teeth cough.”

DJ (age 4) stepped onto the bathroom scale and asked: “How much do I cost?”

MARC (age 4) was engrossed in a young couple that were hugging and kissing in a restaurant. Without taking his eyes off them, he asked his dad: “Why is he whispering in her mouth?”

CLINTON(age 5) was in his bedroom looking worried. When his Mom asked what was troubling him, he replied, “I don’t know what’ll happen with this bed when I get married. How will my wife fit in?”

JAMES(age 4) was listening to a Bible story. His dad read: “The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city but his wife looked back and was turned to salt.” Concerned, James asked: “What happened to the flea?”

TAMMY(age 4) was with her mother when they met an elderly, rather wrinkled woman her Mom knew. Tammy looked at her for a while and then asked, “Why doesn’t your skin fit your face?”

The Sermon I think this Mom will never forget…. this particular Sunday sermon…”Dear Lord,” the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. “Without you, we are but dust…”

He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four year old girl voice, “Mom, what is butt dust?”

And now, I think I’ll have to start going to Starbucks….I don’t think my coffee place serves this one.

Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion is starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed. But I don’t see that. Seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy. But it’s always there. Fathers and sons. Mothers and daughters. Husbands and wives. Boyfriends. Girlfriends. Old friends.

When the planes hit the twin towers as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge. They were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around.