Happy New Years Eve!

God Bless America at the close of this year. Be safe, pleasant and thankful tonight.

Stanley :)

Gonna Resolute to Exercise Next Year?

Here's a good method to get in shape for people over 40:

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface where you have plenty of room at each side.
With a 5-lb. potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides, and hold them there as long as you can.
Try to reach a full minute, and then relax.
Each day you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer.
After a couple weeks, move up to 10-lb. potato sacks.
Then try 50-lb. potato sacks.
Then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb. potato sack in each hand, and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute.
I'm at this level.
Once you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each sack.

:) :) :) :)

It's "post holiday"....let's LAUGH!

It's not nice to laugh at people falling...but....well, you will have a hard time not laughing at/with these poor news casters "loosing it"!



(To hear the video sound better, go to the bottom of the page and "pause" the player)

Thank You, Friend

Like sunrise in the morning
with its warm golden ray
Like floating cotton clouds in summer skies
Like love from God each morning
that keeps me through the day
Your friendship gives me such refreshing highs

Stanley :)

A Good Prayer

O' Great Spirit, help me always to speak the truth quietly, to listen with an open mind when others speak, and to remember the peace that may be found in silence.

Cherokee Prayer

OK, Santa...time for a rest!!

Santa's Coming to Town!

What a wonderful day it was. I got to be "Santa" for some children. I think I "Ho Ho Ho" 'ed too much....or can Santa ever do that too much? I've been a clown before, but never Santa. It was even more fun than I anticipated. The children smiled and eagerly climbed up on my lap. The heart of a child.....what a special blessing. Oh Great Creator, let me see your world as the child sees it....with a heart of innocence, curious interest, amazement, joy, and with the openness of acceptance and love. After all....I am a child....Your child.

Merry Christmas to All!

Stanley :)

It's Christmas Eve...Don't Forget to Hang Your Stocking!

Is What I See Always Real?

Be careful that you observe things as they really are, and not let your own mind, or "brain" trick you. The picture below is NOT animated. It is a simple, still, 2-d picture and does not appear as it really is. Think about this in life as you observe and assess things about you.

Stanley :)

May I Teach With Your Love

Lord
Give me a heart
that sees the good
in all my neighbors

A heart that judges not
but seeks to lift others
that they might share the
wonderful Good News
that You give to us all

If they listen
let me rejoice
if they refuse
let me not judge
but leave that as rightfully Yours
in the last day

And maybe Lord
just maybe
Your Love
with which You control my heart
will catch their eye
in my humble service to You
so that their heart will be
bound up and delivered unto You
as was mine in our beginning

Stanley :)

Too Much Traffic!

"The only way to solve the traffic problems of the country is to pass a law that only paid-for cars are allowed to use the highways. That would make traffic so scarce we could use the boulevards for children's playgrounds."

Will Rogers

Am I Getting Old?

You know you’re getting older when you bend over in the morning to tie your shoes and realize you didn’t take them off the night before.

You know you're past your prime when every time you suck in your gut, your ankles swell.

Let's face it, traveling just isn't as much fun when all the historical sites are younger than you are.

The most frustrating thing about getting older is that every time you see an expensive antique, you remember one just like it you once threw away.

Thank You Son!

When your children are happy…you are happy…very happy. God blessed me with two wonderful daughters. That meant that God would most likely bless me, in the future, with two sons…with the hope that they would also be “wonderful”. As it turns out, they are just that! My son, Matt, has a birthday today. Due to God’s grace, and the fine judgement of my daughter, I am a happy parent because he makes my daughter a very happy wife. I can see this, and I can see the love he has for our Maker, and for his wife and his beautiful daughter. Happy Birthday, Matt! And thank you, son, for making us happy parents. We Love You!

Stanley…Dad :) and Mom :)

Be Creative

"Creativity"....the butterfly of my mind.
If I would only sit still....
you would light upon me.

Stanley :)

Always...Always Read the Fine Print

Marriage is Good

My Daughter, Sandi, and "given by God" son, Greg, have now been married 13 years today! Wonderful! I wrote down something back in March, 1995 that I think they exemplify in their marriage. This just happens to be the year in which they were married. They are both sweet Christian people and God has seen fit to give them two beautiful children. There family is an example to all they are around. Here's what I wrote back then:

Marriage, in order to produce it's best gifts, must be a permanent courtship. Never take your partner for granted. Always prepare yourself to be your best in front of, and for, your partner.

Stanley :)

The Wisdom of Youth

"Never trust a dog to watch your food."
* Patrick, age 10

"When your dad is mad and asks you, 'Do I look stupid?' don't answer."
* Hannah, 9

"Never tell your mom her diet's not working."
*Michael, 14

"When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair".
* Taylia, 10

"Puppies still have bad breath even after eating a Tic-Tac."
* Andrew, 9

"You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk."
* Armir, 9

"Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts."
* Kellie, 11

"If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse."
* Naomi, 15

"Felt markers are not good to use as lipstick."
* Lauren, 9

"Don't pick on your sister when she's holding a baseball bat. "
* Joel,10

"When you get a bad grade in school, show it to your mom when she's on the phone."
* Alyesha, 13

"Never try to baptize a cat. "
* Eileen, 8

Let's Go Camping!

I have high-pitched nerve damage in my hearing.
I miss some of the beautiful high tones in music...especially the wonderful high violin parts that I always loved to hear.
However, on the "up" side...
I love to camp, and each night when I lay down in my bed to sleep, even in my house, I hear the lively outdoor sounds of night, mainly "crickets"...the ringing and chirping in my ears.
To add to that, we have glow in the dark stars on the ceiling over our bed.
I go camping every night!
It's wonderful!!

Stanley :)

Like to Argue?

Various experiences led to my writing down the following statement a while back....we'll leave it at that:

I will discuss the "arguments" of man

Concerning politics and religion

No more

Forever

Life is too long to spend it arguing.

Stanley :)

Special Home Remedies

A DIFFERENT SET OF HOME REMEDIES:

1) If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply
pour a cup of boiling water down your throat.

2) Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables
by getting someone else to hold them.

3) A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep when you hit the snooze button.

4) If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives,
then you will be afraid to cough.

AND…

Sometimes we just need to remember what

"The Rules of Life" really are:

You need only two tools: WD-40 and Duct Tape.
If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40.
If it moves and shouldn't, use the duct tape.

Be Blessed

This is one of the most beautiful, peaceful and heart touching vidoes I have seen in a long, long time. Please watch it and know that I send this wish to you and to your heart.
that you ...

"Be Blessed".

http://www.beblessedmovie.com/

Stanley :)

The Gift

Did you ever get a package that you really, really wanted? You thought about it, dreamed about it, and had the joy of anticipation for what seemed to be much too long a time? And finally, the day came….and the package arrived? Well, that’s exactly what happened to me on this day, 31 years ago! My daughter, Tamara Lea Swartzel, peeped her little head into the world….in a hurry….nineteen minutes after I pulled her mother and she into the emergency entrance of the hospital!!! She’s never been in that big a hurry since, thank goodness! :) We were, and are, very excited that she is “ours”.

Stanley :) DAD :):):)

Everyone...Hands on the Wall!

Sleep Good?

The "Lesser" you own and
The "Gooder" you are...
The Better you Sleep!

Stanley :)

Will You Dance With Me?

I got this in an email. I am convinced of the the truth, and the need, of these words. It's rather long, but worth reading every word of it:

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched ' Jeopardy ' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, 'How about going to lunch in a half hour?' She would gas up and stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain.' And my personal favorite: ' It's Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect! We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet... We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college. Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-Decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butter fly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask ' How are you?' Do you hear the reply? When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.

Life is not a race.

Take it slower.

Hear the music before the song is over.

A Stern Warning!

After putting her children to bed, a mother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. At last she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard her three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was THAT?"

Stay Calm - The World is Not After You!

(If you wish to hear the video sound better, go to the bottom of the page and "pause" the player)

Be "Open"

I have lived in this world just long enough to look carefully the second time into things that I am the most certain of the first time.

Josh Billings

Gotta Play!

Today was an absolutely beautiful day in the middle of cold wintry days. It was sunny with a few passing clouds, about 72 degrees and very windy. A wonderful day to enjoy His Creation.

I went to the doctor, raked up some pine needles, mowed the yard for the last time this winter (I hope), and flew two kites in the wind. Guess what was the most fun?? Ha! Yep, the kite flying...but, the other was enjoyable in it's own way....well maybe not the doctor visit.

Anyway, I just want to say that I think:

It is real important to take time to "play" sometime each day, if at all possible. We don't usually, as adults, take a daily nap, or drink warm milk with cookies, or hold our "blanky", but we do need something to give us a reminder of how much fun life here can be. Take time for fun time....each day!

Stanley :)

Computer Wizard

Merry Christmas Wish

Now that it is December 1st, I can wish all a very Merry Christmas. Here it is, for what it's worth, played on my wife's Autoharp. Enjoy!

Stanley :)

(If you wish to hear the video sound better, go to the bottom of the page and "pause" the player)

How Small I Am

On the evening of March 9, 1995, I was "stranded" in Baltimore, MD by a snowstorm. The airport shutdown and my flight was canceled. I got a room in a Marriott Hotel and was on about the 10th floor. I opened the window curtains and sat overlooking the light falling snow on a surprisingly clear and very cold night, wishing I was home, but thankful I was in a very nice, warm room. I looked out through the night and snow and began to think of all that was going on in the world, as I sat snug and warm and secure. This is what I jotted down that night:

It's bitter cold here in Baltimore, MD tonight. The air is crisp and clear and the lights are bright. Somewhere in the city someone is laughing, someone is crying, someone happy, someone hurting, someone making love, someone fighting, someone being born, someone dying, someone with dreams, someone with no hope, someone planning good, someone planning evil, someone dancing, someone crippled, someone in a warm home, someone homeless and cold. And I sit here as an observer of the world and think how much must be happening all around this great ball we call earth...and I think how very small I am.

Stanley :)

Laughter is Great!!

Still one of my all-time favorite videos!!

(If you wish to hear the video sound better, go to the bottom of the page and "pause" the player)

Continue With Me

My children have all gone back to their homes now. God sent a special blessing when he let me have them, first-hand, for a few brief days. Thank You, God!

O how You look upon me,
Your humble creature,
With such Goodness of heart.
You forever bring to me
Rivers of life.
I deserve so little,
You give so much.
What more could I ask
But that Your favor might continue with Your servant...
And that Your servant
Might continue
In Your Will
Amen

Stanley :)

Thankfulness!

Thank You, O God, for supplying all my needs and giving me so much more. For my family...for love...for safety and protection...for health...for food and shelter and clothing...for the morning light and the joy of life...for good people and good thoughts and good deeds...for being my God...and caring.
Stanley :)

Great Spirit, you lived first, and you are older than all need.
Black Elk, Oglala Sioux, 1863-1950

Encourage Art Talent in Your Children!

The Invisible Couple

An invisible man married an invisible woman.
Nobody could figure out exactly what they saw in each other.....
The kids weren't much to look at either.

Family

Family…they are a warm fire on a cold night, laughter on a dreary day, a hug that never lets go...and a thousand other pleasures of life.

My children, and my children’s children, and our adopted family member, Jimmy, are all home for the holidays. I can’t describe how good that feels. I’m thankful for my life and for what God has blessed me with today. Amen!
Stanley :)

Good Now, Bad Later

When you think to do good, tell yourself, “Do it Now”.
When you think to do bad, tell yourself, “Later”.

The first thought comes from experiences in my life of too many times when I know I should have done the “good” that first came into my mind rather than allow fear, hesitation and lack of confidence to take the lead. God is the One who planted that thought of doing good…listen to it…now.

The second thought is really a great help in life. It’s not a way to “plan” to do bad...it allows you to not let the thought take over, to push it aside, and quite possibly become uninterested, or even forget it. It’s a low-pressure way of bypassing the bad. It comes from this statement by a Lakota (American Indian), Dr. A.C. Ross (Ehanamani):

“When temptation comes, I don’t say, “Yes” and I don’t say, “No”. I say, “Later”. I just keep walking the Red Road -- down the middle. When you are in the middle, you don’t go to either extreme. You allow both sides to exist.”

Some would say, “this is not good”. I say, “it is wise”. Try it.
Stanley :)

Puprose of Life

This is a quote from my most favorite Unknown Author. I've tried to make it a part of my heart for years now. "Tried" is the key word...but it is a valiant purpose to strive toward.

As I stumble through this life,

help me to create more laughter than tears,

dispense more happiness than gloom,

and spread more cheer than despair.

Never let me become so indifferent,

that I fail to see the wonder in the eyes of a child,

or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged.

Never let me forget that my total effort is to cheer people,

make them happy, and to forget, at least momentarily,

all the unhappiness in their lives.

And in my final moment,

may I hear You whisper,

"When you made my people smile,

you made Me smile."