JOIN US AND SHARE HOW GRATEFUL YOU ARE...

There are times when just don't see the value in re-creating the wheel. So I would like to copy the words of my good friend, Lisa (so Lisa, if it sounds familiar that's because of your eloquent writing skills).

My friend Lisa and I have been talking about starting a blog together for a while now - a long while. We share really strong feelings that being grateful for what we have and expressing it can change a person's life. We have found that without changing any of the circumstances in our life, gratitude can change everything. We both know this is true. We want people to get a little taste of that and hope to get lots of participation in this project. If not, it will be a lot of stuff from Lisa and I. I hope you will go check it out AND participate.

lifesjustgood.blogspot.com

Can't wait to read your entries. Now go to our joint blog and starting writing to express your gratitude!

You don't need to move a mountain to make a difference

Just in case you want to make a difference and don't know where to start.

"If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one." - Mother Teresa

Make a Difference...Lend a Helping Hand

In these crazy days where the economy has affected everyone. Even those who have plenty are finding that they are loosing more and more every day. So where does that leave those who have little to begin with? It seems like the middle-class family is becoming obsolete. It's getting harder every day to do the things we once took for granted such as eating out, taking a weekend getaway trip, or purchasing a new car. Many families are struggling to secure a nice savings, keep their homes, or send their kids to college due to the current recession. My fear is that we will come out of the recession in the five years and have a generation of young people without the proper education to fill the available jobs.

We must come together to help each other, share what we have and ensure that this generation doesn't suffer for the mistakes a few. Become active in your community and look for opportunities to help your family member, your neighbor, your co-worker, your church member, possibly someone you will never know.

As a member of the Mesa Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee, we have placed a focus in 2009 to provide more scholarships to the students in our community. The committee is committed to dedicating portions of the proceeds from every fundraiser event to a scholarship fund. The first fundraiser event this year is a Golf Tournament on May 11, 2009. From this event a scholarship in the name of Marquis Cooper will be given to worthy scholarship recipient. You can help by becoming a corporate sponsor, participating in the tournament, or just come out and support the players.

We must help each other! Maybe you will choose to make a difference by partnering with a homeless shelter, maybe you will volunteer with an organization or church in your community, or offer your professional expertise to those in need. Wherever your passion resides, whatever you choose to do...just do it! I believe these times of economic stress has come to take us back to the basics of caring for others...doing for others...reaching out to others. While it's easy to point the figure at those we believe put us in this state of recession or complain about the situation America is in, but I believe that this is our opportunity to become a better America.

Make a difference today...lend a helping hand to someone!

Where does the time go?

I remember as if it was yesterday, moving into my first apartment as a wife yet it was 25 years ago. It seems like it was just yesterday when I gave birth to a little girl on Thanksgiving day, but it was 24 years ago. Was it not yesterday that I brought home a little girl to add to our family of three? No, it was 23 years ago. I clearly remember the look on Tommy's face when the doctor said, "You're having a boy". As clear as I can remember, it's hard to believe that was nearly 18 years ago. On April 25, our youngest child will be 18 years old. And we will soon have an empty nest! So I ask, Where did the time go? Eighteen years seem like a long time but it is actually a short time. So if you have children, treasure every moment...enjoy every laugh...and every conversation. Enjoy the days, months and years because they go quickly.