Awesome Story of Giving That Healed a Town: A Circle of Hands

From Denny: Pull out the tissues because you are going to need them! If you are not crying your eyes out, wondering if you emptied out the tears reservoir, then you need to watch the hour long special of this story. Yes, it's that good. If you are in need of having your faith restored in the goodness of strangers, then this story is for you. These ordinary people will astound, amaze and delight your heart.

The entire town of Grafton, Wisconsin came to the aid of a single mother battling breast cancer who has 13 year old triplets. Two of those triplets are seriously ill with a life long degenerative disease and are already now in wheelchairs. They needed so much. A whole town of neighbors, many who lost their homes and their jobs, came together to help the Longoria family remodel their home so the kids could get around in wider halls and larger spaces.

It's quite an amazing story of what spiritual development is really all about: helping someone else when you have lost so much. There is a man in the process of losing his home because he's been out of work for two months. Yet he came and volunteered every day to renovate the house. There is a hotel owner who gave the family free rooms for the entire time it took to renovate the house.

There is an AIDS charity CEO, living on 40% less income now and facing an uncertain personal financial future, who showed up to organize and raise funding - cheerfully. Another story is of a mother who lost her son 19 years ago and today came to be the interior designer for this family's renovated home. She said this is the first time she has not felt emotional pain since the death of her child.

This first video is a clip that was featured on the news. The other video clips tell the story. The full story and more links are at Dateline and it's an hour show worth watching. It reminds me of a real life story to match the famous Christmas movie, "It's a Wonderful Life." What's so much fun about this story of giving is how the giving rolled into something bigger than the project itself. People got into the spirit of giving and the joy was contagious, drawing thousands of people to volunteer during construction or to help fund the project.

A Circle of Hands is a poem written by one of the volunteers to remember the "Hometown Heroes" project that healed the town.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

*** For more stories like this please visit:

The Healing Waters
The Social Poets


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Dennys Photo Gallery: Beautiful Blues in Our World

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From Denny: For those who visit this blog regularly, you can guess I've just been on one of my famous versions of the coffee break - finding interesting photos to fit a theme. :) Enjoy the unexpected choices and discover new photographers!






Swan Lake Castle, Germany by joiseyshowaa @ flickr







Cloud mirror by James Jordan @ flickr







Olympics style water sunset in Vancouver, Canada by D'Arcy Norman @ flickr








Blue mists at Snoqualmie Falls just before dawn by joiseyshowaa @ flickr







Disney's vision of Manhattan by joiseyshowaa @ flickr







Miami afternoon thunderstorm by joiseyshowaa @ flickr







Blue ocean on shore by Appy29 @ flickr








Blue peacock by Tambako the Jaguar @ flickr








Farm on a snowy hill by James Jordan @ flickr









Ice boulders in Minnesota by *clairity* @ flickr








Noisy Foodie Blue Jay by Lida Rose @ flickr








Nautilus pompilius by Drow_male @ flickr









White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus) by Lip Kee @ flickr








Overflow at a reservoir by flashcurd @ flickr








Stars and Stripes balloon by Beverly & Pack @ flickr







Blue event in Germany by Marcus Vegas @ flickr






Zanzibar, African Dhows on the horizon by geoftheref @ flickr


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Does Your Life Feel Like a Disaster?

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Blue boat photo by cloudzilla @ flickr

From Denny: How easy it is to get our spirits down when Life jumps up and slaps us. I ran across this quote months ago and thought it wonderful then. Today it is even more poignant as I've watched the news. For months the American economy is in turmoil, people by the millions have lost jobs and not replaced them. Terrible earthquakes in Haiti and Chile have left families split apart and destitute.

With so much negativity going on, people look at each other and wonder what is there in Life to sing about? When tough times come along and enter our lives, it is important to take stock of even the smallest things for which we can be grateful.

Why is gratitude so important? Gratitude is powerful. It has the magic strength to heal our hearts when they hurt and are disappointed. Gratitude can help restore our hope. Gratitude helps us develop a new time line, a new path in Life. As you shift your focus to what gratitude reminds you, you will find you are digging yourself out of self-absorption and fear. Gratitude will free you from despair so you can move easily into the next phase of your life.

Included are a couple of links to previous posts, one about Haiti in the news. What the news clip shows is that the Haitians are not cursing God for their misfortune, rather they are literally singing. They choose to sing their way through tough times. What a powerful statement heard around the world!


Quote

* Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats. - Voltaire


*** ALSO: 2 Months Later: Haiti Still Suffers Yet Has Faith

3 Quotes About Facing Tough Times


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3 Quotes About Facing Tough Times

From Denny: Today is Saint Patrick's Day. If there is anyone who understands how tough Life can get it was this man. He was stolen by pirates at the age of 16 from his wealthy family in Britain. He was sold as a slave to Ireland where he learned to tend sheep and learn the Irish language that few in Britain could speak or understand.

He knew loneliness and despair yet managed to keep going in spite of it. He was a slave for six years before finding a way to escape, an escape that was a run of 200 miles - and then there were more obstacles. The life tests just kept piling up on this man.

There are a couple of links to other posts on Saint Patrick and funny quotes for his special day where you can read a longer account of how he dealt with decades of tough times. One thing is for sure; he developed mental toughness.

As I researched about Patrick (real name Maewyn) I discovered that he lived a very long life plan. His was a spiritual path that took many unexpected twists and turns. There was no way he could predict what would happen next or how to handle it. He learned how to truly trust that Life would lead the way for where he was supposed to be, doing what was needed, intersecting with others at exactly the right moment. His life story is a fascinating tale of a spiritual seeker gliding from one moment to the next in complete faith.

It's not to say he did not question or worry or wonder "what now?" Every seeker feels and thinks those things. What's important is to take your focus off the negatives as soon as you observe your mind dwelling upon them. Shifting your focus also shifts your time line, your path in life.

What these three quotes offer today is how to develop mental toughness to handle whatever comes your way, to realize you can achieve what you admire in others if only you will begin at the beginning and take the time to develop and, most of all, nothing is that important to take desperate measures.

There is always Life after a disaster, be it a natural one like an earthquake or a personal one like a divorce or financial ruin. Nothing is important enough to warrant suicide. You, and your life are worthy, worthy to continue living.

Check out the links to Saint Patrick and find out how his life unfolded to understand your life will take decades to unfold fully. So, be patient. Go through the unpleasant times as easily as you enjoy the great times. Enjoy living!


Quotes

* Don't let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was. - Richard L. Evans

* You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face. - Eleanor Roosevelt

* In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on. - Robert Frost


*** ALSO: Funny Sarcastic Sayings for St. Patricks Day - Cheeky Quote Day 17 Mar 2010

St. Patricks Day Funnies and History - Cheeky Quote Day 10 Mar 2010

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Restful Photography: Only White Theme

From Denny: This is a collection pulled together from the wonderful Creative Commons photographers over at flickr. It's fun to explore the world to discover what so many dissimilar animals, flowers, insects, clothing, food, buildings, people and places all have in common: the color white.

You are free to use these photos on your blog or site as long as you give the name of the photographer, the site and a link back to their page like I've done here.

Hope you enjoy the choices! :)







Only White







White snowy owl by Tambako the Jaguar @ flickr







White peacock by be_khe @ flickr








White fungus and shrimp wanton by FotoosVanRobin @ flickr







White cat on white couch by pizazz @flickr






White birch tree in snow by Vitorio Benedetti @ flickr







White coffee cup by Vitorio Benedetti @ flickr






White sea foam by Vitorio Benedetti @ flickr







White rose by lilli2de @flickr






White spotted jellyfish by coda @ flickr






American White House entrance for 2008 open house holiday by KRSPO @ flickr







Albino peacock by The Real Darren Stone @ flickr







White Curly Scarf by zehhhra @ flickr







White torte by zoyachubby @ flickr







White bengal tiger underwater by Gore Fiendus (Jerry Frausto) @ flickr







White turban by jasleen_kaur @ flickr







White on white by James Jordan @ flickr







Wing waving white ermine by e3000 @ flickr







White Pelican by mikebaird @ flickr







White orchid by forteller.ipernity.com @ flickr






White Polar fox resting in hollow log in Switzerland zoo by Tambako the Jaguar @ flickr







White horse by Tambako the Jaguar @ flickr






White winter beach at dawn by James Jordan @ flickr







White arctic wolf by Tambako the Jaguar @ flickr






White day white gulls by eschipul @ flickr







White flowers by OliBac @ flickr







White moth white flower by Anvica @ flickr




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Funny News: Italys World Slow Day

Woman in Genoa, Italy, receives citation from cheeky Slow Warden for walking too fast on World Slow Day

From Denny: The Italians want us to slow down and stop to smell the roses - at least for one day. On March 15th, they celebrate World Slow Day where everyone slows down the pace of their day and quit rushing around. The special day goes by so fast I think they need to extend the celebration to a full week.

In Rome the city offered all kinds of goodies to entice the people, from free public transportation to slamming poetry contests. They even offered free exercise in the form of free yoga and Tai Chi lessons. Being true to the "holiday," the local police handed out mock fines for pedestrians walking too fast.

Who started this fun holiday? World Slow Day began in 2007 as the brain child of Bruno Contigiani, age 62, who is President of the Art of Living Slowly Association. The whole point of this special day is to get people to live at a normal natural speed. He promotes the Association's "14 Commandments" like getting up five minutes earlier to start your day with a leisurely breakfast. He also suggests to make traffic jams a celebration by striking up conversations with fellow stranded motorists.

Other cities in Italy who participated in the event:

Caltanissetta: They offered free transportation on Monday and commuters were gifted with free copies of the "14 Commandments."

Milan and Genoa: These guys were far more cheeky and direct in promoting the holiday celebration. They decided to deputize "Slow Wardens" to chastise pedestrians who were walking too fast and issue them a mock citation. Pedestrians were also cited for taking too direct a route to their destination as well. Makes you wonder if the Slow Wardens went about their day following people to their destinations, clipboard in hand, and determined if the pedestrian was in need of a reprimand for living life too fast or too efficiently. After all, the whole point of World Slow Day is to slow down and savor the journey.

Benevento: They held a competition for the best Haiku poem that best described the day. Guys, haiku is short. You should have asked for a Shakespeare style soliloquy in poetry form. Now that would have been a slow journey - and witty!

Treviso and Palermo: offered free Tai Chi and yoga lessons.

In public parks all around Italy there were offered free Tai Chi and yoga lessons to help people relax and enjoy the special day. "Let's take this one day to stop and think about all the things we miss out on while we're rushing through our lives," Contigiani said.

Turns out that World Slow Day is now honored in 90 cities in 11 countries, including New York, London, Paris and Tokyo. It's linked to the Slow Food Movement.


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Restful: 16 Beautiful Creative Angel Photos

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Angel foot Photo by Denny Lyon @ flickr



From Denny: One of my favorite digital playgrounds is the Flickr database. Since Flickr instituted the Galleries feature where you can go and pull any photo and place up to 18 photos in that gallery, I've been having a lot of fun! There are over 5,000 favorites bookmarked over the years in my Flickr collection and this is a great way to focus it.

As I was pulling this post together I was struck by how many poems I've written in regard to angels: dreams, visions, observations in life, personal experiences you name it - so I included links to those writes.

You are welcome to use my personal angel photos here. Please include a link back to the flickr page with "Denny Lyon" as attribution instead of "image source" - thanks! You can also use these other photos here with the same kind of link and attribution. Creative Commons is a pretty sweet deal when you are an online writer and need some photos for your posts or online article! Thank you to all the other flickr photographers who have been generous enough to place some of their photos in the Creative Commons area.







One Angel Wing Photo by Denny Lyon




To read about how angels impact our lives - and how we impact them:

Angel Diaries: Samuel

Angels Left Behind: Orphans of the World

Angels Bridge

When The Angels Cry For Us

Flinging Dirt

The Long Road




Take a look at the other photo goodies I found on this subject of angels:





Detail of Angel Wings Photo by MR TGT @ flickr









Flying Angel Wings Photo by gingibar @ flickr









Unspoken Angel Prayer by GettysGirl @ flickr

From the photographer:

I believe angels carry our unspoken prayers heavenward. . .









Baby angel wings Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography as D. Sharon Pruitt @ flickr









Weary Angel Photo by GettysGirl @ flickr

From the photographer:

With all that is going on in the world . . . war, economic woes, pandemic threats, homelessness, poverty, abuse against animals and mankind . . . I can imagine that the angels watching over us are growing weary.







Angel Photo by JVT.eci.apps @ flickr

an angel is nobody in particular...

Thorns and stings
And those such things
Just make stronger
Our angel wings









Angel wings seen across the sky Photo by tanakawho @ flickr








5 Doves Angel Wings Photo by tanakawho @ flickr








Angel wings sculpture Photo by ctoverdrive @ flickr








Angel Wings closeup Photo by Katherine_Davis @ flickr







Angel Wings' Reflection Photo by Delphine @ flickr







Angel wings fluttering Photo by Space Cowboy @ flickr







Angel standing guard Photo by Andrew Michaels @ flickr







Angels leaving Photo by polandeze @ flickr




To read about how angels impact our lives - and how we impact them:

Angel Diaries: Samuel

Angels Left Behind: Orphans of the World

Angels Bridge

When The Angels Cry For Us

Flinging Dirt

The Long Road



This week at Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:

Step Out into the Unknown with Ease

Shoes in Church poem

48 Post Roundup: Dennys Blogs 7 Mar 2010

10 Make You Think Fantasy Photos

A Beautiful Poem For When We Dream


*** For more photos posts, please visit Visual Insights!


*** All these photos are from Flickr Creative Commons. Please click on the link for more information for using on your site or blog - and sometimes, photographers include wonderful poems and quotes with their photos.


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