♥ WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD ♥: June 2013

If you have dreams,

then you have a purpose.

At any time,

you can decide to change the road

you're on in life,

take a new direction,

follow a new trail.

You are the only one who really knows

what you want from life

and if you're on the right road for you.

You are the only one who can fulfill your dreams

and receive the joys and happiness

that come from reaching

those aspirations and goals.

Don't expect others to be responsible

for your happiness and your success.

You must take control

and be in charge of your destiny

and day-to-day situations.

Take advice (most of the time it's free)

and listen to what others have to say

and what concerns they have;

it's important to have different points of view.

But always validate those words of wisdom

with your own set of standards

and make sure that the advice

has meaning to your sense of reality.

You must understand yourself enough

to know what you want in life

and what desires you believe are worthwhile

for your future.

You need to depend upon yourself

f and your talents.

Appreciate others for their

personal skills and abilities,

but always continue to focus

on your own strengths and energies.

Life is much too short to spend it worrying

about someone else's accomplishments

or expecting someone else

to be responsible for making your life better.

If you have dreams,

then you have a purpose.

You have something to believe in

and work towards obtaining.

Dedicate yourself to yourself.

Promise yourself a life filled with love,

and then whatever roads you travel

will be the roads you want them to be.

Today

your worth doesn't depend

on everyone liking you.

Things do not have to be

perfect for you to be happy.

Forgive yourself for any imperfections

and accept yourself

just as you are.

~ Unknown

Real love doesn't abandon. . . .

Lovers might.

Friends might.

Children might.

But God doesn't.

Whether we return

the embrace or not,

Jesus Christ stands with His arms open,

day in and day out.

Real love knows us completely

and forgives us completely.

Real love never turns away,

ever.

~~Leslie Williams

Seduction of the Lesser Gods

In life,

you can never be

too kind or too fair;

everyone you meet

is carrying a heavy load.

When you go through your day
expressing kindness

and courtesy to all you meet,

you leave behind a feeling of
warmth and good cheer,

and you help alleviate
the burdens everyone

is struggling with.

~ Brian Tracy ~

If there is any kindness

I can show,

or any good thing

I can do

to any fellow human being,

let me do it now,

and not defer

or neglect it,

as I shall not pass

this way again.

-William Penn

When we feel

love and kindness

toward others,

it not only makes

others feel loved

and cared for,

but it helps us also

to develop inner happiness

and peace.

~The 14th Dalai Lama

Joy in the moments

The most consistently miserable people

are those who can’t be happy

unless everything always goes their way.

The most consistently happy and fulfilled people

are those who decide to enjoy

and make the best of whatever comes their way.

It’s great to expect the best for yourself,

because your expectations drive your reality.

Yet life will deliver many unexpected twists,

turns and disappointments on the way

to fulfilling those expectations.

Making yourself miserable about those

disappointments and misfortunes

won’t achieve anything positive.

Stop and think how much more effective

you would be if you could simply accept

those disappointments and then

move on past them.

Expect the best,

and make the most of the rest.

That’s the quickest way to get

where you’re going while

finding plenty of joy

in the precious moments

along the way.

— Ralph Marston

Creole Jambalaya

2Medium stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)

4Cloves garlic, finely chopped

2Cans (14.5 oz each) reduced-sodium diced tomatoes with bell pepper and onion, undrained

1/2Cup chopped fully cooked turkey smoked sausage

1/2Teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/4Teaspoon pepper

1/4Teaspoon red pepper sauce

3/4Lb uncooked medium shrimp (26 to 30 count), thawed if frozen, peeled (tail shells removed), deveined

1Cup uncooked long-grain white or brown rice

2Cups water

1 Spray 3- to 3 1/2-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker, mix all ingredients except shrimp, rice and water.
2 Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours or until vegetables are tender.
3 Stir shrimp into jambalaya. Cover; cook about 30 minutes longer or until shrimp are pink.
4 Meanwhile, cook rice in water as directed on package, omitting butter and salt. Serve jambalaya with rice.