Tuesday Gratitude Attitude *New* ~05/31/11

Happy Tuesday everyone!  A day I set aside to share my gratitude with you and maybe remind you that the Gratitude Attitude will always help your smile shine from the inside even when its hard to give one on the outside.



The last day of the month and my son Troy's birthday he turns 15 today. We had celebrated yesterday but I wanted to mention that today is day and I am very proud of him!


Troy has recently moved here from Houston, Texas.  I guess it has been about 3 months almost wow how the time has gone so quickly it does that huh?


But seriously he has been a big help to me and Janice around the house but his humor and love has been appreciated.


Tori my daughter has lived with me for 8 years now and everyday I am blessed to have spent many great years with her as well. She also has a great laugh, an awesome smile and love that she gives freely and generously.  She is growing into a beautiful woman and I am very proud of her.


Her birthday was also in May about 2 weeks ago.


Two great kids born two years apart.  I am truly grateful and truly blessed.


My wife, Janice, had made an awesome meal yesterday for us.  I had to work and she had it ready when I came home.  She has made this house a home, brought laughter to my spirit and shares quotes and lines from movies that makes me wish I had seen. LOL I love her, she gives me more than she knows and everyday I am thankful that she has returned to my life and the life of my children.


So I share with you 3 great reasons I have gratitude in my life.  I have more as you know, being able to share with you a smile here and on Make ME Smile Online has also brought a sense of joy and laughter to my heart. So I thank you the reader for that.

THANK YOU! SMILES TO YOU ACROSS THE INTERNET MILES

: )

Back to my son's birthday celebration

Happy Birthday Troy!

Have a great day everyone.....

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Monday Motivational Moment *New* 05/30/11

Happy Monday everyone and welcome to a new week.  Hopefully you have a great day planned with family and friends.  Yes today is Memorial Day 2011 and there will be parades, cook outs and pools filled with fun.  Many of you will play a game of horseshoes, or lawn darts and have a cold beverage or two, or more.  But today do not lose sight of the real meaning of Memorial day.

Remember and never forget

A quote to think upon today:

“Always remember to slow down in life; live, breathe, and learn; take a look around you whenever you have time and never forget everything and every person that has the least place within your heart.”

– Unknown

Yes there will be fun and plans made and kept today.  But please take the time to know that somewhere a soldier is doing his duty and guarding his post.  They are watching the ridge ahead, clearing a crowd filled with friendlies or foes they all look the same.

Maybe they are lying in a bed trying to heal, trying to forget.

With out a doubt they are missing home. Missing that home cooked meal.  They would give anything to help you flip those burgers on your grill, or throw a horse shoe or two.

They would love to be with their loved ones.  Maybe hold their daughter or son.

Don't forget them as you down that cold beverage.

Don't forget the  meaning of that parade today.

Honor and duty they live and serve by.

Honor and duty we can pay our respect to them.

Not just on Monday Memorial day 2011.

But everyday we could take just a second to pray, to thank and to never forget.

A video shared here and a prayer for our troops where ever they are.  My dad is in heaven he served our great land, still miss him today.  But he served and loved every chance they gave him.

Enjoy the video and have a great holiday :)

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Sunday Night Song/Video for our Troops

I found this song and video a few days ago and I wanted to share it tonight.  This is for all of our active armed forces who serve us day after day at home and abroad.
If you know a solider I hope you will email it to them the words touched me and I wanted to share it along with this verse from John 14:27 NIV.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.

I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

~John 14:27 New International Version

Enjoy the video and I hope you share it with someone as I have shared with you.

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Make Me Smile Online: Saturday Morning Reflection and Projection ~05/28/11

Make Me Smile Online: Saturday Morning Reflection and Projection ~05/28/11

Sunday Prayer and Sunday Thoughts ~05/29/2011

Welcome to Sunday everyone I hope you enjoy the day and take time to give praise, share in fellowship and give thanks to those who matter most in your life.  Enjoy the day!



I continue on with a tribute to our soldiers and I do that in sharing with you the reason that we are grateful to those who protect our freedoms.


So what is our reason?  Is it our borders that we live within?  Is it the flag that we fly in our yards and in public places?  Is it our history how we have over come so many hardships and invented more ways to make our lives easier?


My thoughts on these are no.  The borders that our soldiers protect have no fences and of course we are free to roam through out the world and the nation.  These are a freedom no doubt to be proud of but it is not the core that we are grateful for.


The flag that flies high above our country, is just a symbol of our nation.  It is important of course but to give this as the reason we are grateful for our soldiers who serve us is not the true reality of it all.


The nature of our spirit to overcome hardships and our intuition to make things better is getting closer to the fact of our gratitude.  


We are a resilient nation, we help one another get through illness, hardships as in how volunteers are flocking to Joplin, MO and Tuscaloosa tornado's that have destroyed everything but the spirit of these people.


We are a nation of spirit and determination. We need to honor and give respect to our soldiers not for the borders that they protect, not for the flag that we fly under but for the spirit and beliefs that they and we all believe in.


A spirit of 'can do and will do'.


A spirit of 'praise to God' that is  above and all around that provides us with direction.


A spirit of 'free will' a spirit that God intending us all to have and a way in which we would not want any other way.  Not controlled by a government or marketing or dogma but a spirit that is controlled by our heart, and soul.


We are with out a great nation.  One nation under God.


We are a strong nation.  A nation who trusts in family, values and prayer.


These are the things that we are about.


We do however need to understand what kind of government we want going forward.
Do we want a government that is about values?


Do we want a government that helps those who want to help themselves?


Do we want a government of law and order?


I say that I do.  I want a leader that will run our country like a business, a publicly shared country that is transparency, a profit and loss statement and a balanced budget.


We are the board of directors that can fire or hire our leader and we do it with our votes.


We have to decide are we the mouse led through the maze of a higher authority?


We have to decide if we are the children of the founders of our nation who believed in freedom and law to run our government.


A video I want to share this day I hope you enjoy its message and lesson and I hope you take time to think, pray and forge ahead this day.  We united can and will make a difference.


A video and then a quote:  Enjoy!







A quote to ponder upon:

A small group of thoughtful people could change the world.

Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

~Margaret Mead

We are that small group of today.

Think, pray, share, love, make a difference.

Stay foolish and push forward though others doubt you.

Stay hungry when others just have thirst for a better day.

Enjoy your day everyone!

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Saturday Morning Reflection and Projection ~05/28/11

A very happy Saturday to you all!  Yes the weather will be hot, hot, hot, and thats very cool. I hope you have your backyard and family activities planned.  It should be an awesome weekend.  We should never forget the reason for this celebration.  So as promised I wanted to share the Part 1 of my ongoing focus on our soldiers, both men and women who have served and continue to serve us with pride and duty so that we are free.

From May 24, 2009 a post titled:

'Never Forget'

Share time with the family and converse on the week gone by and the week to come. This day has some of the best memories for many of us.  But this day let us not forget the real reason we celebrate this holiday.

The very freedom we enjoy is protected by our men and women of the armed forces.  They fight, protect and serve all of us.  So I felt a sense of pride to devote a little space here to remind us all to 'Never Forget' why we have this  holiday.
We must never forget that we have son's and daughter's serving all over this world to protect.
We must never forget that the very freedoms we enjoy to speak for and against are because of our military.
We must never forget to understand the sacrifice they give each and every day leaving their loved ones behind to serve their country, our country.
We can never forget to pray for peace and each and every day pray for all of them to return safe.
Never forget why and how they serve us and this country.
Never forget how some children in other parts of this world have to fear walking to school or down the street because of war and hate.
Never forget how we don't have to wonder if the next step we take could be onto a land mine as some people in far away lands do.
This day, please take the time to remember and 'Never Forget'.
A video to our loved ones away from us today and serving to protect our tomorrow's.
God Speed and Happy Memorial Day Everyone!

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Flowing into Friday ~05/27/11

A very happy Friday everyone! Welcome to a good looking weekend and many smiles to you. Memorial day weekend in fact, parades, cook outs and time to remember for those who served and serve us today.

In God We Trust, In service We Must

The American Soldier, young, fit and bright they look at their job as duty, honor and a responsibility.  They enter each day with orders and direction no one looks for the next hand out they look for a way to completing a mission.

In God they trust.  To many of you the reader I am sure 'In God you Trust'.

The placement of this phrase in our hearts and spirit should be a strong measurement for our daily gratitude and praise.

But do we serve our country and our community?  Or do we look at the world and task as a entitlement as what is in it for me today.

Why is my day starting out so crappy?  Why is work such a pain?

Why can't my life be filled with more love and joy?

Ask a better question you may get better answers.

In Genesis 2:15 in the New International Version of the bible it is written:

The LORD God took the man and put him in

the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Notice God didn't just say everything will be fine just hang out here.

He gave an order to work it and take care of it.

Later on in the order of life he placed man over the creations of nature to name and to maintain and to till the land and have dominion over everything that roams the earth.  Genesis 1:26.

We have been placed to serve not to be entitled.

What if the American Armed Forces had a feeling of entitled.  They would surely be defeated and weakened and over run by another.

We must be of service to each other and to our planet.

A quote:

Albert Schweitzer:

I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.

Serve and make yourself open to better answers by asking a better question.

Duty and honor, respect and trust, love and acceptance.

Duty for what is expected from the very beginning of time.

Honor for the privilege to be able to make a difference in our life and the life of others.

Respect for those who have served before us.

Trust in what abilities God has given us.

Love the next footprint that we leave and for those who have guided us to where we are today.

Acceptance of others, we are not placed here to hate and control but care and assist.

I leave you with the following prayer:

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next.

Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Enjoy your life and have a great day!

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Thursday Theory ~05/26/2011

A very happy Thursday to you all : )  Smiles to you and yours this day.  The weather continues to be rough across the middle of the USA and today Pittsburgh may get some rough weather.  Sooooo Stay safe and stay in the know.

I continue on with my week of caring and writing about our American Soldier who protects and serves us, not just because its their job but because they see it as an honor.

I commend that feeling of honor and duty.

On a personal not my dad served our country for 40 years.  Most of it was with the Army Reserve but he did it with honor and respect for the flag, for the unit he belonged to, (479th Artillery) and for the country he loved.  From my post a few years go I share some of his story.  I hope you enjoy it again, as much as I do.

From May 25, 2009.

I wanted to do this in two parts. (I will post Part 1 later this week)  One for the present and one for the past military who gave the ultimate sacrifice to their country.   I am the son of one of these hero’s.  My father passed away in 2002 after a long battle with COPD and a failing heart.  But his heart during his 40 years of service the final 30 plus years as a member of the 479th Field Artillery Reserve Group were some of the happiest of his life. My father,  Vitomier F. Yakin was an   E-9 the highest rank you can reach as an enlisted soldier.  He loved the uniform and he loved his country.  I remember when I called him during 9 11 he was so mad after the second plane went into the tower that I knew he would have suited back up if they would have let him.

I watched over my dad the final year of his life and tried to make sure he knew that I loved him.  He passed away August 22, 2002 just seven days after his 79th birthday.  While arranging for his funeral I found his medals and his uniform and  called over to the 99th ARCOM here in Pittsburgh to have his medals properly put on his uniform.   When I opened  the boxes I found the 2 purple hearts which I knew of ,  he incurred  these during World War II one in Germany.  But I also found a Bronze Star, he never spoke of it and I never knew.  They adorned his final uniform with the medals with such reverence and honor.   They issued an extra set of medals for my sister. My father was cremated as he wished and I have his medals still today.  I will cherish them forever.

World War II Bronze Star

Purple Heart World War II

I shall never forget!  I am proud of my dad! His years of service and his final service with the honor guard and the taps playing.  I will never forget the hawk that circled overhead that warm sunny day in August.  Sunny and warm and not a cloud in the sky!

Many of you have loved one’s that have served and passed on.  They served us, gave us our freedom and with all the honor due to them, we shall never forget!

Till next time….  I know my dad  above would smile! : )

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A Wish on Wednesday ~05/25/11

Happy Wednesday everyone! With memorial day just around the bend I wanted to give some heartfelt wishes for our troops.  The way they should be treated, all of them no matter which war they served in, who was the political leader of our country or the reason for the war. The message:

They Served, our men and women of the Armed Services

Some quotes to start with:

Perform, then, this one act of remembrance b

before this Day passes

- Remember there is an army of defense and

advance that never dies and never surrenders,

but is increasingly recruited from the eternal sources of the American spirit and from the generations of American youth.

~W.J. Cameron

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We come, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them.

~Francis A. Walker

Remember our soldiers who gave all, who have served and died protecting our country but also take time to thank those who still protect our land.  The sacrifice that they give each and every day gives us the freedoms we enjoy.

This is our duty to honor and respect those who serve us both here on home soil and far away in lands that are not so free.

We have choices to make about how we spend our budget.  The future of our children is at stake and their children we as a country have overspent and caused a great burden of debt to rage out of control.

But.....

We should never cut into the benefits of our soldier and his family.

Not health, not funding, not safety should we tear away, they serve us and for that we should serve them.

That is my thought this Wednesday as well as my wishes.

Give some thanks to our soldier and each day until Memorial day I will share a video to honor and give thanks for our soldier.

This is the first:

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Tuesday Gratitude Attitude *New* ~05/24/11

Happy Tuesday everyone! How anyone can watch the news and not have your heart go out to the people of Joplin, Missouri.  The town has been leveled, hospitals shut down and still the town moves on with heavy hearts but resolution to carry on.



Prayers sent out for the families and those first responders that are trying to save people and put it all back together.


It is for the 'grace of God' that more did not perish in this horrific tornado.  Yes many lives are changed for ever but the stories of heroic and survival still come out from this story.


On this day I try to encourage and remind that the word gratitude is not just a nice thing to place in your heart and soul but a must for long term health and joy.


Two weeks from today I am posting a 5 part series on this subject in it I will discuss the problem people face understanding the importance of gratitude in their life, and the understanding we need to put in regards to teaching our children so that they can teach its importance.  We also will discuss the 'putting it in play' the gratitude attitude shift and I will give you resources to 'move on from here'.  Thats in two weeks and it will start on June 07th with a preview.  Then part one on Wednesday.  I hope you stop back and visit my post as I hope you will enjoy it but also practice what you read.


The Gratitude Attitude is so important to understand why the sharing of a smile, a sincere smile, can be so important to our hurting world.


Without gratitude in ones heart the smile is somewhat hollow and with little meaning not only to the receiver of the smile but the giver that tried to make a difference in the first place.


Take a close look at what you do have in your life.


Take a moment to close your eyes and understand how grace has carried you through all of life's tribulations.


Take a notebook and share with history who and what your grateful for, document your life and make it a legacy for those you love so they can understand what a life of gratitude meant to you.


These post's our my journal and I can say that I pray and give thanks to God above for those things that are so very important in my life.


My family, the world around me and all it's beauty and most of all the ability to make a difference and send a smile with my post.


Gratitude not just a word but to me a way of understanding.


Take time, spend time with your thoughts and those you love expressing your gratitude.


Make time, the clock is ticking and one resource we can never get back is the very precious time that we all spend each and ever day.


Live, love, laugh and dream!  
Smiles to you and as always take the time to make a difference and smile! : )
Have a great day everyone.....

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Monday Morning Minute *New* 05/23/11

 

Happy Monday everyone and welcome to the Monday Morning Minute. But first the .....

Thought for the day:

Whoever has an original thing to say,

it is sort of a threat to the status quo.
~Steve Lacy

Enjoy today's message:

No video today folks so just the message, time constraints pushed it out but maybe I will do it this evening, we shall see.

The message today was about staying safe this summer, this is tornado season so please stay safe and stay alert.

It also is graduation season for the class of 2011 and my only wish for you is to have you stay away from the 'status quo'.

Stay hungry and stay foolish. Dream big and always try to make a difference.

I write about the simple and sincere power of the smile.  I have been doing that since March 2009 and I know it makes a difference.  Not as much as me actually pulling my smile out in public, I know that makes more impact of course but sharing with you some thoughts and ideas thats what these posts are about to get you to think.

Also starting yesterday I have arranged my posts onto a Daily Paper format.

It comes out around 8pm daily and I hope you enjoy the first edition.  The link is in blue and centered below.

The Daily Smile a daily paper of my past posts

Enjoy the week everyone and keep sharing that smile!

 

Play Hard, Stay Foolish and Stay Hungry!

: )

Smiles sent your way today and everyday!

Happy Monday everyone!

Some thoughts on sharing a smile, your smile with so many who come within your circle of influence.

Till next time....share a smile, make a dream come true and make someone's else a bit happier.

www.makemesmileonline.com

************************

Where membership is always free and

so are the smiles!

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The ME is really all about YOU! Join today !

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Stand out in a sea of frowns and Make a Difference

 

 

 

 

Sunday Prayer and Sunday Thoughts ~05/22/2011

A very happy Sunday to you all! A day to rejoice, to share with family, to give thanks and a day to enhance our upcoming journey we take on each new day.  All of these things can be done in prayer.

A quote:

Prayer may not change things for you,

but it for sure changes you for things.

~Samuel M. Shoemaker

How much impact we can have just with spending time in prayer.

Impact for our life, and our families and even the life of a complete stranger.

My prayer that I pray, I share here with you here.

Dear Lord, I pray today to give thanks for the blessings I have enjoyed. I give you thanks for my wife, my children and my pets that they can realize through my words and deeds how much I truly love and care for them.

I give you praise that you have given me another day to share and care for my fellow man.  That you have allowed my mind to be open to sharing love and a kind word or deed to a perfect stranger.

I thank you lord for giving me and allowing me to share my thoughts and inspirations each morning with others.  Thank you for giving me fresh and genuine words to type out each day.

Lord I give you all the glory and praise for the nature that sings and shines right outside my window.  I thank you for my day and I ask for nothing but only give thanks that you have allowed my life to have meaning and purpose.

I pray and give thanks in Jesus name ...Amen.

Prayer is so easy and so powerful in our life we only need to practice it.  We get better with practice and so does our life.

I share with you here a video and along with my prayer I wish you peace today, love always and dreams that will never end.

Enjoy the video:

 

 

That is my Sunday prayer for you.

Don't forget something new on Monday the Monday Minute. Looking forward to sharing it with you. Smiles sent your way!

Just a Sunday Thought and a Sunday Prayer for you.

Live your life, make a difference!

God Bless you and Till next time......Smile!!!   :  )

Stay Hungry ~ Stay Foolish

Happy Sunday everyone

Some thoughts on sharing a smile, your smile with so many who come within your circle of influence.

Till next time....share a smile, make a dream come true and make someone's else a bit happier.

www.makemesmileonline.com

************************

Where membership is always free and

so are the smiles!

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The ME is really all about YOU! Join today !

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Stand out in a sea of frowns and Make a Difference

 

Saturday Morning Reflection and Projection ~05/21/11

A very happy Saturday to you all! : )  Just the thought of you each morning can make me smile!  Over 820 posts written since March of 2009 and often I go back to reflect on them. The purpose and intention is simple, to make you think, inspire you, to share a smile, a laugh or maybe even move you to tears.  To share a quote about that very thought:

 

 

If you laugh, you think, and you cry,

that's a full day.

That's a heck of a day.

You do that seven days a week,

you're going to have something special.

~Jim Valvano

Thats the projection I want to give to you this day.  Now a couple videos to help you reflect and smile to. Enjoy and have a great day everyone!

 

 

This one from the past post but worth the listen again : )

 

It really is not just about you and me

But a bigger picture that will pass by every day

Your greater purpose awaits not just for you

But for someone who you just may

touch in a special way!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May you project these ideas into your day, week, month.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

:  )

Stay Hungry ~ Stay Foolish

Some thoughts on sharing a smile, your smile with so many who come within your circle of influence.

Till next time....make a dream come true.

www.makemesmileonline.com

************************

Where membership is always free

and

so are the smiles!

**************

Make ME Smile Online

The ME is really all about YOU!

***********

Stand out in a sea of frowns and Make a Difference

 

 

Flowing into Friday ~05/20/11

 

Happy Friday everyone! Smiles sent out, and the belief that if we give it a chance gratitude and those who believe in it could change the world.  A shared smile, a word kindly given.

I like to think of my posts each day as a smile given to you the reader. I also leave them as a gratitude journal of sorts, to explain my gratitude for my family and friends and nature and life in general.

Life to me flows like a river, ever changing slowly the bottom of the river and so is life, ever changing.  Our body changes, our beliefs over time change and our altered and our reliance on faith as we grow older becomes even stronger.

The power of the smile becomes even more self evident as we grow older.  We can lighten the room when we smile, just like a new baby when born can just with its existence.

A few quotes about the smile I share with you here:

A smile is the light in the window of your face

that tells people you're at home.

~Author Unknown

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Life is like a mirror, we get the best results

 

when we smile at it.

~Author Unknown

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After every storm the sun will smile;

for every problem there is a solution,

and the soul's indefeasible duty is to be of good cheer.

William R. Alger

So no matter your weather that ebbs and flows currently in your life, let your smile shine.  Let it shine for that person that you see in your mirror and those you see as you walk on.

Walk on into the day, out of your storm.

Walk on into the light, away from any darkness

Walk on and smile and let another life feel the joy of the power of the smile.

Walk on ..... enjoy the video by U2 and listen to the lyrics and Walk on but please stop back tomorrow for my post.  Smiles to you and yours. Today and everyday. : )

 

 

 

Just flowing into Friday with you and sending you a smile along the journey.

May your smiles abound.

May your joy lift another spirit.

May you stay hungry and stay foolish!

May your heart be warmed because it always was.

Smiles sent your way this day and always!

Some thoughts on sharing a smile, your smile with so many who come within your circle of influence.

Till next time....make a dream come true and make someoneelse a bit happier, even for a moment

www.makemesmileonline.com

************************

Where membership is always free and

so are the smiles!

**************

Make ME Smile Online

The ME is really all about YOU! Join today !

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