Thursday, November 10, 2011

TODAY I Begin To Live




TODAY I begin to LIVE my Life... 
Embracing the past yet not letting it rule me,
Looking forward to tomorrow with renewed Hope,
by LIVING today with everything I have within me!

TODAY I begin to LIVE my Life...
As if there were no barriers - -
between myself and those I Love
or those I have yet to meet,
No barriers to accomplishing 
whatever I set my mind to
or to meeting any of my needs!

TODAY I begin to LIVE my Life...
Finding Joy in the little things,
Taking the time to care for myself,
And doing what I can for others!

TODAY I begin to LIVE my Life...
As if it were the last here on earth,
Without shame, guilt or regret,
Being TRUE to who I was created to be,
Finding Passion and Purpose in all that I do!

TODAY I begin to LIVE my Life...
Centered in LOVE,
Focused on GIVING,
With a THANKFUL Heart...
Remembering the Blessings of 
this Life I have been Given!
 

~ Bren4Life





Sunday, October 2, 2011

"ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE"




"Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love...

There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
It's easy.
There's nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you
in time - It's easy.

All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
There's nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.
It's easy.



All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
All you need is love (all together now)
All you need is love (everybody)
All you need is love, love, love is all you need."




Written by: John Lennon  and performed by: The Beatles
      Broadcast on BBC via satellite on June 25, 1967




Thursday, September 22, 2011

NEW PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

BY A 15 yr. OLD SCHOOL KID Who got an A+ for this entry.
Since the Pledge of Allegiance And The Lord's Prayer Are not allowed in most Public schools anymore Because the word 'God' is mentioned..... A kid in Arizona wrote the attached NEW School prayer: 





"New Pledge of Allegiance"



Now I sit me down in school 
Where praying is against the rule 
For this great nation under God 
Finds mention of Him very odd. 
If scripture now the class recites, 
It violates the Bill of Rights. 
And anytime my head I bow Becomes a Federal matter now. 
Our hair can be purple, orange or green, 
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene. 
The law is specific, the law is precise. 
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice. 
For praying in a public hall Might offend someone with no faith at all. 
In silence alone we must meditate, 
God's name is prohibited by the state. 
We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks, 
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks. 
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible. 
To quote the Good Book makes me liable. 
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen, 
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King. 
It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong, 
We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong. 
We can get our condoms and birth controls, 
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles. 
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed, 
No word of God must reach this crowd. 
It's scary here I must confess, 
When chaos reigns the school's a mess. 
So, Lord, this silent plea I make: 
Should I be shot; My soul please take! 
Amen 




If you aren't ashamed to do this, Please pass this on. 
Jesus said, 'If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father.' 
Not ashamed. Pass this on....I LOVE JESUS!!






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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

"WHAT MATTERS"



It Doesn't Matter...


It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of me.
It doesn’t matter that I don't have a car.
It doesn’t matter I’ve gained ten pounds.
It doesn’t matter that I eat breakfast for dinner.
It doesn’t matter if I have a bad hair day.
It doesn’t matter that you forgot my birthday.
It doesn’t matter that I didn’t win.
It doesn’t matter how much money I have.
It doesn’t matter, the color of your skin.
It doesn’t matter how old you are.
It doesn’t matter what I did in my past.
It doesn’t matter that life isn’t fair.
It doesn’t matter if you have the last word.
It doesn’t matter if I am wrong and you are right.




It Matters...

It matters that I appreciate life.
It matters that I kiss my loved ones goodbye.
It matters that I volunteer to help.
It matters that I have compassion for others.
It matters that I make someone smile.
It matters that I am in your presence.
It matters that I sit in silence.
It matters that I laugh and sing.
It matters that I take a stand.
It matters that I walk my talk.
It matters that I forgive and forget.
It matters that I know you love me.






~The Bold Life~



Sunday, September 4, 2011

26 WAYS TO LOVE LIFE


1. Be positive. The moment you open your eyes each morning think of something positive. One positive thought leads to another. Before falling asleep each night think positive thoughts. Positive thoughts lead to a well lived life.
2. Accept yourself. Be kind to yourself and love yourself. Never make excuses for who you are. Don’t compare yourself to others. There will never be another you.
3. Be Yourself. You are unique. We live in a copy-cat materialistic world. You don’t have to look or act like a Hollywood star. Don’t change who you are in different situations. You have a right to be different, think differently and do things differently than others. You only have to be you!
4. Choose your friends wisely. Choose friends who accept and respect you. Choose friends who support you. Friends either bring you up or down. Release anyone who isn’t going in your direction.
5. Practice gratitude. It’s the fastest way to put youself in a positive emotional state. Keep your focus on what you have and more will come to you.
6. Help others. Never pass up an opportunity to help someone. Small deeds count. Big deeds count. Share with others. You can’t out give God. You will feel good about yourself and your life.
7. Apologize. Make this a habit. Tell others you are sorry. Ask what you can do to make up for your actions. Then make the changes needed in your behavior.
8. Forgive. Forgive yourself and others. Holding grudges steals your emotional and physical energy.
It’s like carrying a ball and chain around your ankle.
9. Find a hobbie. Discover what you love to do. Acting, dancing, photography or painting are all better than another television show or computer game. Step out of your comfort zone and enjoy life.
10. Live without debt. Don’t spend more than you make. Create a budget and stick with it. Money is one of the top two reasons for a divorce. Debt ruins relationships and lives.
11. Laugh often. You can determine the health of a family or workplace by the amount of laughter that takes place. It has been proven that laughter heals. Read comics, joke books and watch comedy.
12. Exercise. Stay active. Move your body. Find exercise that you love and do it regularly. Volleyball, running, baseball, swimming and tennis can be exercise and fun. Find what fits you and get going.
13. Eat healthy.Choose fresh vegtables, fruits, nuts and grains. Avoid red meat.
14. Travel. Explore different places. If you can’t afford to fly, drive. You don’t have to go far. just go. Learn how to travel on a budget and go twice as much.
15. Celebrate Mondays. Mondays are 1/7 of your life. Do something special on Mondays so they feel like Fridays. Notice the attitude you have on Friday compared to Monday. How can you make Mondays special.
16. Volunteer. This will add to your mental and emotional health. It’s a feeling money can’t buy. Do your part to make the world a better place.
17. Play. Balance life with play. Play cards. Play with children. Play outside. Play games. Play for fun. Play to improve yourself.
18. Live in the present moment. When we are anxious we are either living in the pain of the past or the fear of the future. Learn to take one moment at a time. Live in the present.
19. Respect elderly people. Spend time with them. They are worthy and wise. You will be old someday yourself.
20. Read. You can learn something new everyday. Never stop learning. Never stop growing.
21. Breathe. Learn to breathe properly. Breathe deeply and often. It will decrease your tension and anxiety.
22. Be patient. Learn to wait patiently. We spend between 3-5 years of our life waiting in line. Learn to be patient with others. We don’t all grow at the same pace. Learn to be paitent with your children, it is a wonderful gift to give them.
23. Learn to deal with your emotions. It’s a scientific fact that the center for emotional control is not in someone else’s behavior it’s in your brain.
You can talk with a friend, journal or exercise, these are a few methods for dealing with your emotions. Anger covers up pain, pain covers fear. Recognize your feelings, emotions and know how to remain calm in chaos.
24. Take the high road. Know what your values are and live by them. If  a cashier gave you an extra five dollars back in change would you give it back?
25. Simplify. List the areas of your life that need to be simplified. Choose one area of your life and begin. Keep it simple.
26. Love. Learn how to express your love to others. Speak loving words and take loving action. Decide to contribute love to the world.

Monday, August 8, 2011

LIFE LESSONS 101

LIFE LESSONS 101        ♥•*´¨♥¸.• ♥ ´*.*♥¸.•

 
  • I've learned that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides to every story.

  • I've learned that it's taking me a long time to become the person that I want to be.

  • I've learned that you control your attitude or it controls you.

  • I've learned that maturity has more to do with the types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

  • I've learned that quantity is not as important as quality when it comes to friends.

  • I've learned that it isn't enough to be forgiven by others, sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

  • I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world will not stop for your grief. 

  • I've learned that background and circumstances might have influenced who you are, but we are responsible for who we've become. 

  • I've learned that you can't make someone love you, all you can do is be someone who can be loved. 

  • I've learned that no matter how old or wise you think you are, life never stops teaching.



Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Rise and Hope: The Interview With God



 I dreamed I had an interview with God.

"Come in," God said. "So, you would like to interview Me?"

"If you have the time," I said.

God smiled and said:
"My time is eternity and is enough to do everything; What uestions do you have in mind to ask me?"

"What surprises you most about mankind?"

God answered:

"That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again...

That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health...

That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future...

That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived."

God's hands took mine and we were silent for awhile and then I asked... "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"

God replied with a smile:

"To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved...

To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives...

To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. All will be judged individually on their own merits, not as a group on a comparison basis...

To learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least...

To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them...

To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness...

To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings...

To learn that money can buy everything but happiness...

To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally different...

To learn that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them, and likes them anyway...

To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves."


I sat there for awhile enjoying the moment. I thanked Him for his time and for all that He has done for me and my family, and He replied, "Anytime. I'm here 24 hours a day. All you have to do is ask for me, and I'll answer."

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

JUSTICE for Caylee AND Casey Anthony



OK, Friends ~ I realize this will be a wildly UNPOPULAR OPINION, but after seeing the highly charged emotions being played out everywhere today since the jury came back with their verdict, I MUST speak my mind and express what is in my heart about this case and it's outcome...

  • 1. There is absolutely NO joy to be found in the Anthony case - A beautiful child is gone! That loss is profound and is a wrong that can never be "righted", BUT THANK GOD, today has proven there IS still justice in this country!

  • 2. For those of you who believe her mother (solely and with premeditation) murdered her, that she is pure evil and that everyone is her intended victim... You will probably NEVER be able to see anything other than her "guilt" and that she should get the death penalty, so your idea of justice can never be served anyway!!

  • 3.  The smaller group of people that believe Casey just wanted to "have fun" and that her daughter was an inconvenience, but that she didn't want her dead necessarily - but that she died due to something Casey may have done and then she lied to cover up what happened - Keep in mind she has served 3 years which is far longer than most rapists and some murderers get anyway! And if she is released on Thursday, she has nothing anyway to "go home to" anymore and so she has been and will be "punished" for her negligence and selfishness.

  • 4. But those of US (the very few and far between) who happen to believe what Jose Biaz has presented and maintained since the start of trial... That Casey lied, acted "strange", was immature, irresponsible, and self-absorbed, BUT that she was in fact sexually abused by her father for years and grew up lying, denying, pretending, shutting herself off from her feelings and reality and never really learned any kind of coping skills or healthy ways in which to act, react or live her life in general - That she never really had to grow up and behave like an adult and probably doesn't know how AND that George WAS indeed complicit in the death of Caylee - Which WAS an ACCIDENT! That he used that horrible situation to once again manipulate his daughter, secure her loyalty and dependence upon him and get her to comply and above all, KEEP SILENT, by making her feel to blame for Caylee drowning and telling her that her life would be ruined if anyone found out....... We can be relieved that, DESPITE the MASS MEDIA FRENZY and overall "lynching" of the defendant before her day in court, at least 12 people saw that this entire case was contrived and LESS than circumstantial and that JUSTICE TRULY WAS PRESENT in that courtroom (finally) today!!!


Above anything else, the most important thing that we can do as citizens of this great country is to, in every way, stand for and uphold the Constitution of the United States and the ONLY WAY that can be done is if we allow the system to work the way it was intended, not twist it to suit our purposes!  That is what the State of Florida tried to do throughout this entire fiasco...  They asked the jury to accept that Casey Anthony was guilty of killing her own daughter and to therefore make the evidence fit in with that "truth" - And they didn't, they couldn't! They could not convict someone based on opinion, probability, process of elimination, appearance, inappropriate behavior and a "THEORY" that really didn't even make any sense anyway!

THE LAW  is based wholly on fact, on logic and reason and on examining details to get to the truth  -  It is NOT based on emotions and feelings and on appearances!!!  The "Case against Casey" has been built over 3 years based on the tragedy of the death of a beautiful little girl and how that made everybody "FEEL" and how it all "APPEARED" to be! But PLEASE remember this, if we start convicting people and sentencing them to death  based on those things, we are in serious trouble as a society and our Constitution and what it stands for, means nothing!!


I submit to you, WHAT IF...?  


  • What IF George DID molest Casey?

  • What IF he was present when Caylee accidentally drowned and then told his 20 year old, immature daughter that the only thing possible to do is (once again) SHUT UP, pretend this never happened and promised to take care of it to make sure she would not get into the trouble he assured her she would?  

  • What IF George was beginning to sense that her loyalty to him was diminishing and worried that she might indeed say something about the abuse?  

  • What IF he disposed of Caylee's body in a manner that would look like a kidnapping/murder either hoping it would go unsolved OR in a way that could possibly point to Casey if she did end up "telling on him"?  

  • What IF Casey stayed gone for 31 days, partying and lying, etc. because either he advised her to keep a low profile or she could not be there at home where her baby had died, where her mother would be asking too many questions and not "lose it", not break down and tell the truth?

  • What IF she was partying to "NUMB OUT" - to NOT FEEL because it was all just too much to handle?  All of us handle trauma in different ways, but there is no real "normal" when "normal" has not been a part of someone's life anyway!

  • What IF George began to worry about her telling the truth because of being arrested and the pressure being put on her by the cops and couldn't risk anyone finding out about his involvement? (Maybe he moved body?)

  • What IF he then began trying set her up to protect himself? (the report of stolen gas can, duct tape, suicide note,etc) - Don't forget that molestation charge carries a life sentence in Florida, not to mention whatever he would be sentenced to for covering up the death if anyone found out!!!  He is NOT a man that could handle going to prison, of that I am sure!

  • What IF she then finally realized that she was absolutely alone, she had NOBODY and nothing... Her daughter gone, her mom living in denial, her dad cold, phony as hell and throwing her under the bus to save himself? That her whole family life was a "mess" and nobody cared about the truth?   


There are so many WHAT IFS...


But IF that is what happened (SERIOUSLY) how would you act? How would any one of us behave? Well, NONE of US can truthfully say for sure unless we have been there!!  But I can tell you this, I think I would be sitting there in that courtroom "stone cold" too if the only people in the world that I am supposed to be able to count on are THOSE people, when the whole country has convicted me without ANY evidence and everyone thinks I am a "monster"!!  We have no idea what she does when she is alone - She may be crying for Caylee every night alone in her jail cell and we would never know! All these people have been going on and on about her "lack of emotion", well I sure hope they all saw how she showed emotion when the verdict was read and how grateful she looked and NO, it wasn't for the benefit of the jury, because they had already rendered their verdict! 

It just AMAZES me how people can say the things they have been saying... "Oh, poor George...", "Look at that witch, she needs to die..."  "George is the only person in that family that is feeling the loss of Caylee" and on and on and on...  It really is sickening to me -- Poor George!!??  He was a detective - he knows all the ins and outs of a crime or covering up something or making an accident look like a crime and he KNOWS how to lie and look convincing!!!  Why does everyone keep saying he was such a doting grandfather??  How does anyone know that??  There are tons of pictures and video and TESTIMONY that Casey was a wonderful mother, but I have never seen any proof that George was a loving and caring and wonderful grandparent!  Casey lied - most definitely, over and over in the beginning... But George lied over and over on the stand, in his deposition, to his wife, the court about his affair, about everything AND also was non-cooperative in the process too, and IF he did know about Caylee's death from the beginning - he lied to the WHOLE WORLD and for all these years -- But why is it at everyone assumes he is truthful??  Because he WAS a cop?? PLEASE!

I suggest you read the 8 page letter he wrote at the time he was (supposedly) trying to kill himself -- Yeah right! With blood pressure meds and a 6-pack of beer!?  It is ridiculous!  He wrote (with perfect penmanship and spelling by the way) the perfect "sample suicide note", saying just what he "should"...  And it is ALL ABOUT GEORGE!!  He knew how to end his life without all the drama, he was a cop for pity's sake... But no, it ended up just an "attempted suicide" that got him even more media exposure and everyone feeling sorry for "Poor George"!!  WHO DOES THAT ANYWAY?? If he truly believed his granddaughter was missing or had been killed, why would he ever want to cause his beloved family ANY MORE PAIN? Who would be so selfish as to either try or actually do it at a time like that? No matter how much pain you are dealing with , wouldn't you want to be there to help, support and find the "killer"?  It is because he knew what had really happened and once again he manipulated the events to his selfish purposes and tried to get attention and pity!  Just like when he "finally broke down" on the stand -- It started when he was being questioned about the gas can and duct tape and was resisting even answering and when he did it contradicted his prior testimony - He was scrambling! And then made it out like it was grief for "the love of his life" being gone...??!!!  And everyone bought it??!!  WOW!

I hope everyone saw how George and Cindy Anthony immediately got up and left the courtroom with their attorney right after the verdict was read -- Does that not tell you something?  He does NOT care about his daughter and it is NOT because he thinks she is a murderer either -- It is simply because she is of no further use to him and she betrayed him by opening her mouth!!  He is an OPPORTUNIST, who has used this tragic event to feed his ego and manipulate everyone and ensure that he did not get "found out"! He has perpetuated the idea of his own daughter being guilty of causing the death of his granddaughter to save his own butt and be sure that nobody would ever believe her allegations about him! Has was NOT calling her a "LIAR" or making her look like a horrible person before the trial started, so why did his story and attitude change?  I believe it was not because they alleged he molested her and knew about Caylee and he was "hurt" by that, but it was because IT WAS ALL TRUE!!  Any parent knows that you love your children NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO... You may hate what they have done, you may not condone their actions, you may be angry and hurt, but you still love them and try to support them!  Even if (you think) they are a MURDERER!

I hope everyone also saw how the jury (all 12 of them collectively) REFUSED UNEQUIVOCALLY to speak to the media about their decision!!!  BRAVO!!!! I am thrilled that the members of the jury refused to give credibility to the same people who have distorted the facts and misrepresented this situation according to their own opinions and bias and subsequently caused a whole country to HATE a woman they know nothing about! The media and the general public have NO BUSINESS IN THE COURTROOMS!  Have we not learned this!  We have become a society of voyeurs it seems and thrive on living through the drama of other people's lives from the safety of our living rooms, but we are NOT attorneys, most of us - We do not get the whole picture no matter how many hours we may watch the events play out on T.V. - We do not have the training, experience or ability to judge a situation such as this case objectively and from a legal aspect most certainly, so maybe we should leave that job to the professionals instead of playing "arm chair attorney/judge/jury" and letting emotions convince us of things that are not proven!

Some of you may agree with me, most of you will not -- But regardless of our differences of opinions or lack of, know that I respect and understand why you all believe the way you do -- I am just hoping you can accept that there are other ways to look at this situation and since none of us KNOW FOR SURE, we cannot let our emotions run out of control!

I am not saying that Casey is a great person, OR that I think she is THE victim, OR that her actions are justified by any means!!  I am only pointing out that there is so much more to this than meets the eye and that if we are going to appoint ourselves as qualified to judge a situation, we should at least take in all the info and not just blindly accept what is "spoon-fed" to us by the media and T.V. personalities!  And just because someone behaves in a way we deem inappropriate, we cannot label them as GUILTY (especially of a capital crime) and wish for their death!

I, for one, HOPE and pray that somehow the truth will come out and can be proven and if by chance it does, maybe in some small way it brings closure and resolution for those involved and for Caylee!  Unfortunately that may never happen, but for now we must accept that our Judicial system worked exactly the way in which was intended today and that is a huge victory for us as Americans living in the only true FREE Republic in the world - It is what ensures we all are indeed FREE!!


"Jus' my opinion"... :)

~ Bren ~




R.I.P.  Caylee Marie Anthony




                                                                                     

" 4 LIFE "

" 4 LIFE "
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