thankful

I am thankful I can walk;
there are those who have never taken their first step.

I am thankful I can see the beauty all around me;
there are those whose world is always dark.

I am thankful I can hear music playing;
there are those who entire life has been spent in silence.

I am thankful my heart can be broken;
there are those who are so hardened they cannot be touched.

I am thankful I can move about freely and express my beliefs;
there are those who live in constant fear.

I am thankful I have been and am loved;
there are those for whom no one has ever cared.

I am thankful I can work;
there are those who have to depend on others for even their most basic needs.

I am thankful to wake up in the morning and take a deep breath of fresh air;
there are those who never got that far.

I am thankful for the opportunity to help others;
there are those who have not been so abundantly blessed as I.

I am thankful for clothes that fit snug;
because it means I have enough to eat

I am thankful for all the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech

I am thankful for the gifts of friendship and love
I am thankful for grace
I am thankful for mercy
I am thankful for sacrifice
I am thankful for peace

how to be creative

check out this list to learn how to be creative... http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/000932.htmlSo you want to be more creative, in art, in business, whatever. Here are some tips that have worked over the years:

1. Ignore everybody.
2. The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to change the world.
3. Put the hours in.
4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.
5. You are responsible for your own experience.
6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.
7. Keep your day job.
8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.
9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.
10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.
11. Don't try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.
12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.
13. Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside.
14. Dying young is overrated.
15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.
16. The world is changing.
17. Merit can be bought. Passion can't.
18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.
19. Sing in your own voice.
20. The choice of media is irrelevant.
21. Selling out is harder than it looks.
22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.
23. Worrying about "Commercial vs. Artistic" is a complete waste of time.
24. Don't worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.
25. You have to find your own schtick.
26. Write from the heart.
27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.
28. Power is never given. Power is taken.
29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.
30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.
31. Remain frugal.

fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us most.
We ask ourselves,
‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and famous?’
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And when we let our light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others."
~Marianne Williamson, American author and lecturer

guitar

I had the opportunity to snap some pics at Kevin Rogers studio ..

this is one of my favorites from that shoot

snakes in a church

LONDON, Ky. -- southeastern Kentucky law enforcement officer said a woman was bitten by a snake during church and died. She was 48-year-old Linda Long. The Laurel County Sheriff's Office reported that she died Sunday at the University of Kentucky Medical Center Detective Brad Mitchell said Long died about four hours after the bite was reported.
Officials said Long attended East London Holiness Church. Neighbors of the church told the newspaper the church practices serpent handling. Lt. Ed Sizemore of the Laurel County Sheriff's Office said friends went with Long to a local hospital Sunday afternoon. "She said she was bitten by a snake at her church," Sizemore said.Sizemore said he thinks the woman was bitten by a timber rattlesnake. Handling reptiles as part of religious services is illegal in Kentucky. Snake handling is a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine of $50 to $100. Police said they had not received reports about snake handling at the church. Snake handling is based on a passage in the Bible, in the Gospel of Mark, that said a sign of a true believer is the power to "take up serpents" without being harmed. A woman who lives near the church told the Lexington-Herald leader that she's witnessed snake handling at the church."I don't have no dealings with those snakes," Opal Wagers said. "But they seem to handle them pretty good."She told the paper that people handle snakes at the church at least one Sunday each month. Wagers said the snakes are taken to the church by members from Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. Church officials could not be reached for comment.

kansascitychannel.com

single in kc

I live in Kansas City and alot of times from my single friends I hear that KC is a bad place to date.
So i'm reading the star online and I came upon this section.
click here to see what I read....