ON THE MATTER OF HOPE   Never fear shadows. They simply mean there is a light shining somewhere nearby.                                                                 —Author Unknown   To suffering there is a limit; to fearing, none.                                                                   —Francis Bacon, Sr.   For an identity in caste, character is its liberator.                                                           —Cheryl Farrell     The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”                                             —Allan K. Chalmers       ON THE MATTER OF HOPE   "We don't know enough to despair... Despair is hidden arrogance: I have seen the future and it doesn't work. Hope is rooted in trust of the unknown. Work, wait, and hope. That is enough."                                         — Sam Keen, excerpt from Callings,                                                                          by Gregg Levoy      The "Hard Stuff" in Hope*   The only way to get yourself out of a fog is to rise above it.  God's peace can keep you from going to pieces.  There is hope in your future if God is in your present.   *From God Is in the Hard Stuff, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.      In times of great sadness and stress, we dream more intensely. The body realizes a need for more hope ... than reality can yield. That is when dreams grow.                           —Lionel Haynes     "In change we find our purpose."                                              —Heraclitus, Greek philosopher       Hope steps in where imagination drops off.                                                                                                       —Cheryl Farrell   Doors of Hope   If opportunity doesn’t knock … then build a door. —Milton Berle   A sign on the door of opportunity reads, “Push.” —Thomas Jefferson   Trouble knocked at the door, but, hearing laughter, hurried away. —Benjamin Franklin   Quotes courtesy of Avalon Windows & Doors  www.avalonwindows.com   "The Road to Success"   The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends, red lights called Enemies, caution lights called Family. You will have flats called Jobs.   But, if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called Perseverance, insurance called Faith, a driver called Almighty God, you will make it to a place called Success.                                                       —Author Unknown     "Come By Here"   "...This sweet prayer set to music has special meaning for me. It was often a part of my childhood worship. I've heard similar sentiments from others about the familiar song. Its uncomplicated lyrics reflect a profound statement of hope: talk to God and he will surely listen..." —Cheryl Farrell   Bay Heart Music Prayer Room www.bayheartmusic.com/prayerroom   Click the play button for "Come By Here" [Spoken Word/Song] [02:29]   “The String and the Journey” July 2008   I recently received a terrific email from a dear friend on the matter of life’s journey. Her story touched me greatly. It puts the journey message into clear perspective. Please enjoy this, and share it with anyone who may need to hear from you while on their journey.    EMAIL EXCERPT FROM A FRIEND ON THE SUBJECT OF ADVENTURE   My mother-in-law’s cousin was a beautiful spirit who died at 92. She was a joy to visit in Napa. When [my son] was little, she would greet us at the door and give him the end of a piece of yarn and tell him to follow it. He would follow the yarn across the room, up the bookcase and down the bookcase, under the sofa and into the bedroom, and finally when he got to the end of the yarn, she would have a little present for him. She would wave her finger at him and say, “It’s not about the prize, it’s about the adventure!”  Adventure or journey, that is what counts. That is such a great thing.  —Cheryl Farrell   "I am not anxious to be the loudest voice or the most popular. But I would like to think that at a crucial moment, I was an effective voice of the voiceless, an effective hope of the hopeless."                                                            —Whitney M. Young, Jr.                                        “What Does Hope Look Like?" April 2008   There’s a humorous credit card ad campaign that has gruff characters from another time asking a tag line, “What’s in your wallet?” I believe it’s becoming as familiar as a competitor’s slogan, “Don’t leave home without it.” In both cases, the message is to stay equipped with negotiable instruments to purchase your desires.   As enamored of advertising creativity as the next gal, the persuasive message lingers in my mind. So much so, that a variation of the ad slipped into my thoughts. Know what it said?     “What’s in your wallet … of hope?”   It asks, what currency do you use to negotiate change? (No pun intended—the frustrated wannabe ad exec in me emerges at times.) For all the talk about hope, what do we carry around in order to obtain hope? My answer is to fill my spiritual pocketbook with the following:   Dreams of what hope looks like in order to recognize its fruit when I see it. Investments in tomorrow’s memories with good thoughts today. (Inspired by Marianne Williamson.*) Meditation and prayer—being still in order to hear what I'm called to do. I know all this sounds like lofty niceties. We’ve got to start somewhere. It’s my attempt at a start. —Cheryl Farrell    * “The Age of Miracles: Embracing the New Midlife,” by Marianne Williamson. ISBN-13: 9781401917197 Publisher Hay House, Inc. (2008) "What's in your wallet?"® Capital One Credit Card "Don't leave home without it." American Express     On the Matter of Success   "To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and … to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."                                                          ----Ralph Waldo Emerson       "I've learned that people will forget what you've said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."                                                                                —Maya Angelou     "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.”                                                                                       --Jeremiah 40:31 NIV                                                                                                                                              Inspired by Bill Stross for DEMDACO

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