The Grandma Who Could
By Neil Eskelin
At the age of eighty, a farmer's wife in Cambridge, Virginia, suffered from painful arthritis. The mother of ten children and many grandchildren -- and great-grandchildren -- loved to do needlework, but her fingers could no longer manipulate the large needle to embroider.
The elderly woman looked for something else that would keep her occupied and found she could hold a small paintbrush much easier than a needle. So she tried her hand painting. She thought her farm and country scenes were good enough to show at the Cambridge Fair, but only won prizes for her jams and canned fruit. There were no blue ribbons for her art.
Then one day an art collector from New York City was traveling through the village and noticed several of her paintings for sale in a local drug store. When he showed them to his friends in the art circles of Manhattan, they were more than curious.
Soon, 'Grandma Moses' gained an international reputation. Her widely-collected works of art were featured on calendars, greeting cards and in exhibitions in leading galleries including the Modern Museum of Art in New York.
Even more amazing, twenty-five percent of her 1,500 popular paintings were done after she was 100!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Today is a Good Day!: The Story of Sambo
By Dominic FabrizioOnce upon a time, there lived a hard-working and loving family. Sambo was the youngest of eight children. Every morning before school, the children's mother would wake them up with her sweet voice. Good morning, my children. Today is going to be a good day.
The children would wake, go outside, and do their chores. The chores were very difficult, and none of the children liked doing them, especially Sambo. You see, Sambo disliked getting out of bed in the morning to do his chores.
After the chores, their mother always prepared a hot breakfast for them. The children would eat and walk to school. After school, they would hurry home to do their afternoon chores so they would have time to play before getting ready for dinner. One morning, his mother came and said, "Good morning, my children. Today is going to be a good day." Sambo did not get out of bed. His mother repeated, "Get up, Sambo. Today is going to be a good day." Sambo replied, "Momma today is not going to be a good day. Today is a bad day, and I want to stay in bed." His mother said, "Okay Sambo, you stay in bed since today is a bad day." Sambo had a smile on his face as he went back to sleep. His brothers and sisters snickered at Sambo as they went to do their chores. Sambo fell back to sleep.
An hour later, he woke up to the sound of his brothers and sisters laughing at breakfast. His stomach growled. He was very hungry. Sambo walked down the stairs into the kitchen. He sat down at the table with his brothers and sisters. When he put two BIG pancakes on a plate, his mother stopped him and said, "What are you doing Sambo?" "Momma, I'm so hungry," Sambo replied. Momma said, "Oh no. Sambo today is a bad day. You go up to your room, and go back to bed." Sambo looked sad, "but I'm hungry Momma." "Remember today is a bad day Sambo. Now go back to bed." Sambo walked slowly back up to his room with his stomach still hungry. He was very sad. You see, in his room there were no toys, TV or computers. Nothing but his bed and a stuffed bear.
All day long Sambo sat in his room alone and hungry, until finally he heard his brothers and sisters come home from school. They ran upstairs to change their clothes for chores before they went to play. Sambo went down with the other children to do his chores when his mother saw him. She said, "where are you going Sambo?" "Out to do my chores, Momma." "Oh no, Sambo. Today is a bad day. Now go back up to your room." Sambo started to cry on the way up the stairs. He thought to himself, "I am so hungry and bored. I hope Momma lets me eat later." When dinnertime came, Sambo walked slowly down the steps to see if he could get something to eat. He was met at the bottom of the steps by his mother. She said, "Oh no, Sambo. Today is a bad day. You need to go back up to bed."
Sambo woke up the next morning to the sound of his mother. "Good morning, my children. Today is going to be a good day."
Sambo jumped out of bed and cheerfully said to his mother: "Yes, Momma. Today is going to be a good day!"
This story was told by a great man, my father, Fred L. Fabrizio.? He used this story to illustrate one of his core beliefs.? Every day is a good day, as long as you choose to make it a good day.
On October 21, 2005 my father woke up at 5am and went for his morning run.? He had breakfast with my stepmother Kathy.? They went outside and did what they loved to do work on the yard and the house.? You see they had to leave the house that day to drive to Columbus, Ohio for a continuing education class for his physical therapy licenses.? They never made it to the seminar.? They were both killed instantly in a car accident.
I remember that day as if it were yesterday.? My wife and I were in Las Vegas celebrating our wedding anniversary when we received the call.? I can still see the look on her face when she handed me the phone so my brother Mike could tell me the news.? My life will be forever changed.? Since that time I self published The Story of Sambo, one my father used to tell daily.
Everyday is a good day as long as you choose it to be. My father lived every day like it was his last. He woke up every morning and had a good day, no matter what.
Now go out and have yourself a good day!
posted by Ivan
taken from friends at AsAManThinketh.net
By Dominic FabrizioOnce upon a time, there lived a hard-working and loving family. Sambo was the youngest of eight children. Every morning before school, the children's mother would wake them up with her sweet voice. Good morning, my children. Today is going to be a good day.
The children would wake, go outside, and do their chores. The chores were very difficult, and none of the children liked doing them, especially Sambo. You see, Sambo disliked getting out of bed in the morning to do his chores.
After the chores, their mother always prepared a hot breakfast for them. The children would eat and walk to school. After school, they would hurry home to do their afternoon chores so they would have time to play before getting ready for dinner. One morning, his mother came and said, "Good morning, my children. Today is going to be a good day." Sambo did not get out of bed. His mother repeated, "Get up, Sambo. Today is going to be a good day." Sambo replied, "Momma today is not going to be a good day. Today is a bad day, and I want to stay in bed." His mother said, "Okay Sambo, you stay in bed since today is a bad day." Sambo had a smile on his face as he went back to sleep. His brothers and sisters snickered at Sambo as they went to do their chores. Sambo fell back to sleep.
An hour later, he woke up to the sound of his brothers and sisters laughing at breakfast. His stomach growled. He was very hungry. Sambo walked down the stairs into the kitchen. He sat down at the table with his brothers and sisters. When he put two BIG pancakes on a plate, his mother stopped him and said, "What are you doing Sambo?" "Momma, I'm so hungry," Sambo replied. Momma said, "Oh no. Sambo today is a bad day. You go up to your room, and go back to bed." Sambo looked sad, "but I'm hungry Momma." "Remember today is a bad day Sambo. Now go back to bed." Sambo walked slowly back up to his room with his stomach still hungry. He was very sad. You see, in his room there were no toys, TV or computers. Nothing but his bed and a stuffed bear.
All day long Sambo sat in his room alone and hungry, until finally he heard his brothers and sisters come home from school. They ran upstairs to change their clothes for chores before they went to play. Sambo went down with the other children to do his chores when his mother saw him. She said, "where are you going Sambo?" "Out to do my chores, Momma." "Oh no, Sambo. Today is a bad day. Now go back up to your room." Sambo started to cry on the way up the stairs. He thought to himself, "I am so hungry and bored. I hope Momma lets me eat later." When dinnertime came, Sambo walked slowly down the steps to see if he could get something to eat. He was met at the bottom of the steps by his mother. She said, "Oh no, Sambo. Today is a bad day. You need to go back up to bed."
Sambo woke up the next morning to the sound of his mother. "Good morning, my children. Today is going to be a good day."
Sambo jumped out of bed and cheerfully said to his mother: "Yes, Momma. Today is going to be a good day!"
This story was told by a great man, my father, Fred L. Fabrizio.? He used this story to illustrate one of his core beliefs.? Every day is a good day, as long as you choose to make it a good day.
On October 21, 2005 my father woke up at 5am and went for his morning run.? He had breakfast with my stepmother Kathy.? They went outside and did what they loved to do work on the yard and the house.? You see they had to leave the house that day to drive to Columbus, Ohio for a continuing education class for his physical therapy licenses.? They never made it to the seminar.? They were both killed instantly in a car accident.
I remember that day as if it were yesterday.? My wife and I were in Las Vegas celebrating our wedding anniversary when we received the call.? I can still see the look on her face when she handed me the phone so my brother Mike could tell me the news.? My life will be forever changed.? Since that time I self published The Story of Sambo, one my father used to tell daily.
Everyday is a good day as long as you choose it to be. My father lived every day like it was his last. He woke up every morning and had a good day, no matter what.
Now go out and have yourself a good day!
posted by Ivan
taken from friends at AsAManThinketh.net
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Personality profiling
Yesterday after the cellgroup, we had to do a survey. I was curious about personality profiling so i went and checked it out today. and here is my report.
Who i am
You are important. So are other people, especially if they are in trouble. You have a tender heart, but you know how to establish and keep personal boundaries. You are empathetic and compassionate, but you also believe that it's best if people solve their own problems and learn to take care of themselves, if they are able.You are deeply moved by the needs of others, but you know that if you don't take good care of yourself, you'll wind up being of no use to anyone. So yours is a thoughtful compassion. You strive to be fair and sensible, taking care of others while also taking care of yourself.When someone really is in trouble, you like to collaborate with them toward a solution; they do their part, you do yours. You consider carefully, and respond in a sensible way; they do their part, and together you move through the difficulty. You seldom act impulsively; rather, when a problem arises, you take your time to think through the situation. This contemplative quality usually means that you'll arrive at a diplomatic solution, one that's fair for the other person and also fair to you. It's frequently a win/win situation.
The way i feel about life
You like the way things are in your life. The ideas and beliefs that have served you well serve you still. The habits and routines of work, home and life suit you to a tee, and you see no reason to alter it. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," and as far as you're concerned, "It ain't broke." Your roots go deep into the soil of what you've believed about life for a long time, and these deep roots give your life a sense of steadiness and purpose. Since you've held on to these beliefs for a long time, and held on earnestly, your understanding of things is deeply held; novelty and intellectual experiments and "the next new idea" hold little interest for you. You like the practical, down-to-earth ways of thinking and believing and living your life that have served you so well.
How my feelings truely are
When emotions get topsy-turvy, most of the time you keep your feet on solid ground. When some of your friends lose control of their feelings, you are able to stay relaxed and even. It's not that you're cold-hearted or without feelings. On the contrary; you can be fun-loving. You hurt when a friend is in pain or is in trouble. You might cry occasionally at a movie, or when watching a particularly touching story on the evening news. But in moments of emotional pleasure, or when troubling feelings rise up within you or around you, you keep yourself together. Here's a fundamental truth about you: when it comes to your emotional world, you are certain and constant, not flapping around and out of control. It's a good thing because life will come at you, as it comes at all of us, with emotional surprises. We all hit hard times, or get caught off guard, or feel a sudden swell of fear or joy or anger or sadness. Once in a while you'll get caught up in the feelings of one of these moments. You get silly, maybe too silly, with your friends. You wake up in the dark, or run into dark thoughts, and find yourself afraid of . . . of something, though you're not quite sure of what. The sadness around you creeps inside you and you feel "down" for a while, but you push your way through it. "Think", you say to yourself. "Stay calm, and figure out a way to cope". Soon, you're relaxed and together again, your feet are once more on solid ground, and your emotions are under control.
The way i work
When there's a job to be done, like most people you want to know what the goal is and when it's to be completed. For you, that's a start. Next you want to know what the plan is to get to the goal. So you lay out a plan, or at least the major points of a plan: "Organize the kitchen sometime this spring" or "Get the project at work done as soon as possible." You don't need an in-depth specification of every little detail; in fact you prefer not to work that way. You lay out your goals, develop a general plan, and then you get things done. You believe in intuition as well as organization. As such, you trust impulses as much as strategies and you value spontaneity as much as you do efficiency. In a word, you like to keep it flexible. When you set out to accomplish a task, you prefer to have some room to maneuver. Like an artist, you find that the best way to reach a goal is not always in a straight line. Some of the most productive times for you are the unplanned moments of inspiration and creativity that just come to you. While you do keep to a general plan, those times of pure vision and originality are what really drive you. Some of the people who rely completely on an organized approach to getting things done may be surprised at your efficiency. But there is a definite method to your approach. With a creative flair that others may not have anticipated, the original plan gets met and there are often a few extra accomplishments along the way. Your comfort zone starts with a task and a plan but it also requires the freedom to be able to go with your instincts and impulses so that you can not just accomplish the task, you also have the option to explore something brand new along the way.
Introvert/Extrovert
You are generally a modest and private person. You are thoughtful and careful before making decisions and offering opinions. You most likely have a number of good friends and you greatly enjoy spending time with them. But even with your friends you tend not to be terribly outgoing; you open up, but slowly, and share yourself, but in a careful way. For you quality is much more important than quantity. When it comes to your social life you are more comfortable with deeper, well nurtured friendships than with having a social calendar that rivals that of a socialite.Whether at work or in social situations, you neither need nor particularly like the spotlight. In fact, it is often the case that your friends and colleagues think you deserve more credit than you take and more attention than you get. But that isn't really your style. Again, you don't crave flash and attention, it's quality and depth you treasure.This isn't to say that you don't want to be around people or that you aren't good in relationships and in social situations. In fact, you need the companionship of people, you just prefer quiet conversations with a friend or a small group to finding a new party to go to every week. Your social encounters balance out the side of you that likes your own company and having enough time to think and reflect. But you do find that life has a better rhythm for you when there is enough quiet time to deliberate on your own so that you are refreshed for your next encounter with friends and colleagues.
By the silly
Ivan
Who i am
You are important. So are other people, especially if they are in trouble. You have a tender heart, but you know how to establish and keep personal boundaries. You are empathetic and compassionate, but you also believe that it's best if people solve their own problems and learn to take care of themselves, if they are able.You are deeply moved by the needs of others, but you know that if you don't take good care of yourself, you'll wind up being of no use to anyone. So yours is a thoughtful compassion. You strive to be fair and sensible, taking care of others while also taking care of yourself.When someone really is in trouble, you like to collaborate with them toward a solution; they do their part, you do yours. You consider carefully, and respond in a sensible way; they do their part, and together you move through the difficulty. You seldom act impulsively; rather, when a problem arises, you take your time to think through the situation. This contemplative quality usually means that you'll arrive at a diplomatic solution, one that's fair for the other person and also fair to you. It's frequently a win/win situation.
The way i feel about life
You like the way things are in your life. The ideas and beliefs that have served you well serve you still. The habits and routines of work, home and life suit you to a tee, and you see no reason to alter it. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," and as far as you're concerned, "It ain't broke." Your roots go deep into the soil of what you've believed about life for a long time, and these deep roots give your life a sense of steadiness and purpose. Since you've held on to these beliefs for a long time, and held on earnestly, your understanding of things is deeply held; novelty and intellectual experiments and "the next new idea" hold little interest for you. You like the practical, down-to-earth ways of thinking and believing and living your life that have served you so well.
How my feelings truely are
When emotions get topsy-turvy, most of the time you keep your feet on solid ground. When some of your friends lose control of their feelings, you are able to stay relaxed and even. It's not that you're cold-hearted or without feelings. On the contrary; you can be fun-loving. You hurt when a friend is in pain or is in trouble. You might cry occasionally at a movie, or when watching a particularly touching story on the evening news. But in moments of emotional pleasure, or when troubling feelings rise up within you or around you, you keep yourself together. Here's a fundamental truth about you: when it comes to your emotional world, you are certain and constant, not flapping around and out of control. It's a good thing because life will come at you, as it comes at all of us, with emotional surprises. We all hit hard times, or get caught off guard, or feel a sudden swell of fear or joy or anger or sadness. Once in a while you'll get caught up in the feelings of one of these moments. You get silly, maybe too silly, with your friends. You wake up in the dark, or run into dark thoughts, and find yourself afraid of . . . of something, though you're not quite sure of what. The sadness around you creeps inside you and you feel "down" for a while, but you push your way through it. "Think", you say to yourself. "Stay calm, and figure out a way to cope". Soon, you're relaxed and together again, your feet are once more on solid ground, and your emotions are under control.
The way i work
When there's a job to be done, like most people you want to know what the goal is and when it's to be completed. For you, that's a start. Next you want to know what the plan is to get to the goal. So you lay out a plan, or at least the major points of a plan: "Organize the kitchen sometime this spring" or "Get the project at work done as soon as possible." You don't need an in-depth specification of every little detail; in fact you prefer not to work that way. You lay out your goals, develop a general plan, and then you get things done. You believe in intuition as well as organization. As such, you trust impulses as much as strategies and you value spontaneity as much as you do efficiency. In a word, you like to keep it flexible. When you set out to accomplish a task, you prefer to have some room to maneuver. Like an artist, you find that the best way to reach a goal is not always in a straight line. Some of the most productive times for you are the unplanned moments of inspiration and creativity that just come to you. While you do keep to a general plan, those times of pure vision and originality are what really drive you. Some of the people who rely completely on an organized approach to getting things done may be surprised at your efficiency. But there is a definite method to your approach. With a creative flair that others may not have anticipated, the original plan gets met and there are often a few extra accomplishments along the way. Your comfort zone starts with a task and a plan but it also requires the freedom to be able to go with your instincts and impulses so that you can not just accomplish the task, you also have the option to explore something brand new along the way.
Introvert/Extrovert
You are generally a modest and private person. You are thoughtful and careful before making decisions and offering opinions. You most likely have a number of good friends and you greatly enjoy spending time with them. But even with your friends you tend not to be terribly outgoing; you open up, but slowly, and share yourself, but in a careful way. For you quality is much more important than quantity. When it comes to your social life you are more comfortable with deeper, well nurtured friendships than with having a social calendar that rivals that of a socialite.Whether at work or in social situations, you neither need nor particularly like the spotlight. In fact, it is often the case that your friends and colleagues think you deserve more credit than you take and more attention than you get. But that isn't really your style. Again, you don't crave flash and attention, it's quality and depth you treasure.This isn't to say that you don't want to be around people or that you aren't good in relationships and in social situations. In fact, you need the companionship of people, you just prefer quiet conversations with a friend or a small group to finding a new party to go to every week. Your social encounters balance out the side of you that likes your own company and having enough time to think and reflect. But you do find that life has a better rhythm for you when there is enough quiet time to deliberate on your own so that you are refreshed for your next encounter with friends and colleagues.
By the silly
Ivan
Sunday, July 6, 2008
hmm.. how to put photos?! haha anyway i dont have much to show..
finally ops is over! but still.. so much things to do back in camp.. still have to burn weekends.. must claim so many days of off.. anyway.. sunday cell group is quite cool.. haha.. next week gone again but i'll probably be able to watch service online.. =)
hmm.. i used to be able to take the initiative to talk to new friends.. or probably i always help other cgs to talk to their new friends.. haha i'll make the new friends feel welcome the next time k! and i suggest we make a newcomer's book?
i had a dream.. a bad or probably a good one.. haha..
this is brought to you by your beloved
-mx-
finally ops is over! but still.. so much things to do back in camp.. still have to burn weekends.. must claim so many days of off.. anyway.. sunday cell group is quite cool.. haha.. next week gone again but i'll probably be able to watch service online.. =)
hmm.. i used to be able to take the initiative to talk to new friends.. or probably i always help other cgs to talk to their new friends.. haha i'll make the new friends feel welcome the next time k! and i suggest we make a newcomer's book?
i had a dream.. a bad or probably a good one.. haha..
this is brought to you by your beloved
-mx-
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