I am a 61 year old, father of two boys and have been happily married for 33 years. I have been a Physical Education teacher and coach for 38 years and have loved EVERY minute of it. I enjoy making people laugh and feel good about themselves. It’s fun collecting inspiring and heartwarming stories.from people. So, if you have a good story…let me know! I hope you enjoy my page!! :)
Remember:
Everyone is fighting a battle that you know nothing about.
Be kind.
Always.
The Dedicated Blogger Award 2016 from Blackbutterfly7
My friend, Blackbutterfly7, has nominated “Good Time Stories” for the Dedicated Blogger Award 2016. In creating and nominating the award, she wrote:
“Blogging, some say, is losing ground on the Internet. Many people are now using Twitter or Snapchat or Instagram to convey their thoughts, leaving the more ‘old-fashioned’ blog behind.
But there are those who understand that, sometimes, a long form is best. Who know that it takes time, and craft, and WORDS as well as images to convey a thought, and to start a conversation.
This Award is dedicated to those bloggers who consistently provide wisdom, inspiration, kindness, gentleness and truth to the world through their blogs.
This is a my “thank you” to you. Please, pass it on!”
There are no rules, but I suggest that the award be posted on the blog. If the theme does not have borders for posting the award, then consider a page (not post) for awards and putting it on the menu of your blog.
Here’s a hearty thank you and heartfelt appreciation to Blackbutterfly for this award. It also gives me great pleasure to pay this forward to other bloggers who provide wisdom, inspiration, kindness, gentleness and truth to the world through their blogs.
As always, I’m afraid of leaving someone out who deserves the award, but have decided on the following blogs below. Some of the bloggers have jobs, or have had things happen in their life, but they continue to blog, giving us all inspiration. Some blog about their personal experiences and struggles and overcoming. Their writings cause me to feel that they are like family.
This is not to say that there are not other bloggers who I enjoy, but they have already been nominated by other recipients. That’s the great thing about our Word Press family.
Photo Credit: Gary Knight via CC FLickr: Going for a walk down East Street.
An elderly couple was celebrating their sixtieth anniversary. The couple had married as childhood sweethearts and had moved back to their old neighborhood after they retired.
Holding hands, they walked back to their old school. It was not locked, so they entered, and found the old desk they’d shared, where Jerry had carved I love you, Sally.
On their way back home, a bag of money fell out of an armored car, practically landing at their feet. Sally quickly picked it up and, not sure what to do with it, they took it home. There, she counted the money – fifty thousand dollars!
Jerry said, “We’ve got to give it back.”
Sally said, “Finders keepers.” She put the money back in the bag and hid it in their attic.
The next day, two police officers were canvassing the neighborhood looking for the money, and knocked on their door. “Pardon me, did either of you find a bag that fell out of an armored car yesterday?”
Sally said, “No.”
Jerry said, “She’s lying. She hid it up in the attic.”
Karl Wallenda takes a walk – 60 feet above the harbor -as the first attraction of the fourth Baltimore City Fair Sunpapers photo Lloyd Pearson published September 22, 1973
There has been an untold amount of research over the years that the power of positive thinking can have a fantastic effect on the way a person lives their life and how they feel about themselves. They have better self-esteem, self confidence, a healthier outlook with life, suffer less stress related illnesses, etc. Many successful individuals in all areas of life, become that way because of the approach that they have towards their life, the jobs they have, their faith, and other aspects of their life. For example, athletes use a method called “mental imagery” in which the athlete closes their eyes, visualize game situations that they would experience in real-life competitions, envision themselves reacting in certain ways, etc. Then, later on when they are actually playing in a actual game…they perform better because they have experienced the situations many times before.
Transversely, there is also the flip-side…the power of negative thinking. People fail many times because they either do not envision themselves at succeeding at a certain task or job, or they lack the confidence, motivation, or will-power to accomplish a specific goal.
Such is the case of the story of one the greatest tightrope walkers of all time, Karl Wallenda. He walked tightropes over great distances, high in the air, and he did so without a safety net.
As he grew older, Wallenda continued to do his death-defying walks. He performed the same breathtaking stunts up into his seventies that he had done as a young man in his twenties.
Then in 1978, he fell to his death while walking a tightrope between two buildings in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
His wife was interviewed on television several weeks later and was questioned about Wallenda’s fall.
“It was very strange,” she said, “For months prior to his performance, he thought about nothing else. But for the first time, he didn’t see himself succeeding. He saw himself failing.”
Mrs. Wallenda went on to say that he even went so far to personally check the installation and construction of the wire itself. “This,” she said, “was something Karl had never done previously.”
There seems little doubt that Karl Wallenda’s negative mental imagery and fears contributed to his failure.
The lesson and encouragement is this: Believe in yourself and be confident knowing that you will succeed with the tasks, jobs, and projects that may come your way. Stay strong and persevere when things or situations get tough and be assured, that you will be rewarded with the satisfaction knowing that you just enjoyed the power of positive thinking!
This is a re-post of an article that I posted a couple of years ago around Memorial Day. It is a powerful message that you will not soon forget. This an amazing account of incredible sacrifice during World War 2 involving simple towns people. Warning: Tissues WILL be required!
Around this time each year, Memorial Day, I am reminded of a story that I once heard. Though the exactness of it I cannot confirm, I am assured its basis is quite factual, and its message definitely deserves to be retold.
The story is of a man, Andrew, who was known all his life for selfless sacrifice and good works. He always stood in defense of the defenseless, and toiled without tiring, standing up for the downtrodden and underprivileged. As he grew old, and people tried to honor him for his well-lived life of service, he was reluctant to accept the praise and attention that his community desired to heap upon him. It was then, for the first time, that he told a story that had burned deep in his heart and was hard for him to relate.
Andrew was a young man, thirteen years old and living in Austria, when the Germans invaded. The Austrians, brave and proud, decided to fight back. In the town where Andrew lived, the men and teenage boys organized and destroyed a power plant that the Germans relied on to continue their war effort. The men and boys all knew this would cause great hardship on themselves as well, for they also relied on the power from the plant. But the thing they had not counted on was the swift and severe retribution that would come from the Nazi invaders.
The next morning, before the sun was even up, trucks rolled into town. Soon, the sound of marching soldiers was heard in the streets. The men and boys of the town, twelve years old and older, were ordered to the town square. Andrew found himself standing in a line with the other men and boys, still trying to wipe the sleep from his eyes.
The commanding officer berated them, and told them they were fools to think they could stand against the might of the German army. He told them they were nothing, and their minuscule efforts would not slow down the German war effort, but it would hurt them because a price was going to be paid for their rebellion. He then said that every 20th man in the line would be shot.
As each 20th man was pulled from the line and marched away, Andrew looked down the line and started counting. With horror, he realized that he stood in a 20th position. He trembled with fear as the soldiers moved closer and closer to him, and the shots started to ring out at the edge of town where the unfortunate men were being taken.
As the Germans continued to move down the line, Andrew could see others counting and their eyes turning to him with a look of pity and concern. Andrew found himself wanting to flee, but too frightened to move. Even if he tried to run, the soldiers on the trucks, with the mounted machine guns, would cut him down before he could get ten yards.
But then, in the instant that the last man before Andrew was pulled from the line, the Germans turned their eyes away, and Andrew felt a hand on his shoulder. The hand tightened quickly, and before he knew what had happened, he was jerked forcibly over one spot, and the old man who had been standing next to him moved swiftly to switch positions.
Andrew looked up at the silver haired man and the man smiled. Just before he was taken from the line and led away, the old man spoke quietly to Andrew. “Your life is no longer just your own. Live it for both of us.”
Andrew watched silently as the old man disappeared from view toward the edge of the village. His heart jumped as the shots sounded, shots that Andrew knew should have been his own. In that instant, tears flowing down his face, he determined he would indeed live his life for both of them. From that day he had tried to live so that the unknown old man would have felt his sacrifice was well repaid.
Each time I consider the flags flying by the many graves in the cemetery, thinking back on Andrew’s story, I realized that no one’s life belongs just to them. Each of us owes a debt to many who have paid prices through hardship, hard work, and even the sacrifice of their lives, from which we have benefited.
With the wind gently whipping the flags in the breeze, I, too, renewed my own dedication in how I live my life.
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(Daris Howard, award-winning, syndicated columnist, playwright, and author, can be contacted at daris@darishoward.com; or visit his website athttp://www.darishoward.com)
There is nothing more precious and heartwarming than seeing pictures of little children with their pets There is a special relationship between humans and their pets…even more so with kids. So, without further ado, I will post some pictures of these touching relationships thst will certainly bring a song to your soul and a smile to your face.
People literally spend millions and millions of dollars every year on beauty aids, enhancements, and surgeries just so they can look younger, prettier, sexier, etc. The sad thing is this: no matter how much time and effort a person tries to make themselves appear younger or look better, they will still get old…in other words…you can’t beat Mother Nature.
Photo Credit: Brandon Zierer via CC Flickr
So…what should a person focus their time and energy on each day? The answer is this…THEIR HEART because this is what a person is REALLY made of. The following story is a terrific example of this concept. It illustrates to us in a picturesque way about the true beauty of an individual.
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One day, in a heavily crowded place, a young man was shouting at the crowd.
“People look at me; I have the most beautiful heart in the world.”
Many people looked at him and were stunned to see the beautiful heart in a perfect shape, no little flaw, which looked quite amazing. Most of the people who saw his heart was mesmerized by the beauty of his heart and praised him.
However, there came an old man and challenged the young man, “No my son, I have got the most beautiful heart in the world!”
The young man asked, “Show me your heart, then!”
The old man showed his heart to him. It was very rough, uneven, and had scars all over the heart. Also, the heart was not in shape, appeared like bits and pieces joined together in various colors. There were some rough edges, some part of the heart were removed and filled with other pieces.
The heart of the old man simply looked like various pieces of heart joined together and formed as a heart.
The young man started laughing at his heart, “My dear old man, are you mad? See, my heart! How beautiful and flawless it is. You cannot find even a bit of imperfection in my heart. See, yours. It is full of scars, wounds and blemishes. How can you say your heart is beautiful?”
“Dear boy, my heart is just so beautiful as your heart is. Did you see the scars? Each scar represents the love I shared with a person. I share a piece of heart with others when I share love and in return I get a piece of heart, which I fix at the place where I had torn a piece!” said the old man.
The young man was shocked.
And the old man continued. “Since the pieces of heart I shared were neither equal nor in the same shape or size, my heart is full of uneven edges and bits and pieces.” “My heart is not in shape because sometimes I never get the love in return from those I gave it. So where do you see the real beauty? Your heart which looks fresh and fuller with no scars which indicates you never shared love with anybody. Did you?”
The young man stood still and never spoke a word. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He walked to the old man, tore a piece of his heart and gave the piece to the old man.
Many people give importance and respect to physical beauty. Yet, physical appearance isn’t the real beauty…the heart is! Like the old adage says: “Beauty really is only skin deep!”
This is an incredible photo that shows the beautiful silent language that animals sometimes share with humans. I believe that animals can sense when people are hurting, suffering, or experiencing times of despair or hardships.
There are times when I feel that animals were put on this earth for not only the enjoyment of the human race but also for healing, joy, and comfort.
Look at the absolute happiness and delight in this crippled person’s eyes…proving once again, that a photo really is worth a thousand words!!
Here’s an interesting account of the day Hall of Fame footballer, Jim Brown fought boxing legend, Muhammad Ali.
I think we have all wondered at some time in our lives what it would be like if two super heroes got together and fought it out. Superman vs. Iron Man. The Rock vs. The Incredible Hulk. Batman vs. Captain America. But what about famous sports stars or Hall of Famers?
This is an amazing story, written by Ryan Wilson,that I found a while ago, about two of the greatest athletes of all time and the one time that they faced off against each other. This is a short but fascinating account of this meeting.
During his nine-year playing career, Hall of Famer and former Browns running back Jim Brown was known for his unmatched athleticism and legendary toughness. Not only was he the best player of his era, he was one of the best players ever. In addition to what he accomplished on the football field, in college at Syracuse, Brown was a second-team All-American in basketball and a first-team All-American in lacrosse.
Given that he excelled at just about anything he tried, it’s not surprising that Brown briefly considered boxing after he retired from the NFL in 1965 at the age of 29. Specifically: Brown wanted to get in the ring with then-heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. And not just for a sparring match but for a full-on fight.
Brown had introduced promoter Bob Arum to Ali, so Arum felt that he owed Brown the courtesy of at least checking with the heavyweight champ to gauge his interest. This was 1966, Brown was a year removed from football and pursuing his acting career, and Ali was 24 and in his prime.
So Arum took Brown’s message to the champ. The details, via this fantastic profile of Arum (who turns 81 Saturday) by Sports Illustrated‘s Chris Mannix.
“So I went to talk to Ali,” Arum told Mannix. “He says, ‘Jim wants to do what? Bring him here.’ So I took him to Hyde Park in London, where Ali used to run. Ali said, ‘Jimmy, here’s what we’re going to do: You hit me as hard as you can.’ So Brown starts swinging and swinging, and he can’t hit him. He’s swinging wildly and not even coming close. This goes on for, like, 30 seconds. Then Ali hits him with this quick one-two to his face. Jimmy just stops and says, ‘OK, I get the point.’”
Think about that for a second. Jim Brown — who routinely trucked some the biggest, strongest and fastest athletes on the planet — couldn’t even touch Ali…that is mind-blowing!
Throughout the duration of our lifetime, there are many people that come into our lives. Each one of them has an unique effect on us…each in their own way.
Generally speaking, people come into your life in one of three ways: a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.
When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.
Lastly, there are people that come into your life that will last a lifetime. LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway); and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but great friendships last forever.
There are many times in our lives when life seems good…everything is going well, we are healthy, making money, have plenty of food to eat, we have great families and friends, and the list goes on.
But sometimes, the tables get turned and we can become sad or bitter or discouraged. It is during these “down” times that we can remember the simple lessons of a camera. They are as follows:
I came across this little, fun way to pray many, many years ago that I always thought was a pretty good idea and a terrific way to remember not only who or what to pray for…but HOW to pray.
This is beautiful – and it is surely worth making the 5 finger prayer a part of our lives!
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1.Your thumb is nearest you.
So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you.
They are the easiest to remember.
To pray for our loved ones is,
as C. S. Lewis once said, a “sweet duty.”
2. The next finger is the pointing finger.
Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal.
This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers.
They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction.
Keep them in your prayers.
3. The next finger is the tallest finger.
It reminds us of our leaders.
Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators.
These people shape our nation and guide public opinion.
They need God’s guidance.
4. The fourth finger is our ring finger.
Surprising to many is the fact that is our weakest finger,
as any piano teacher will testify.
It should remind us to pray for those who are weak,
trouble or in pain.
They need prayers day and night.
You cannot pray too much for them.
5. And lastly comes our little finger
– the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves
in relation to God and others.
As the Bible says, “The least shall be the greatest among you.”
Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself.
By the time you have prayed for the other four groups,
your own needs will be put into proper perspective
and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.
I think that this is a terrific picture that shows the simple and pure compassion that an animal can show to another creature in a time of great danger. It is probably safe to say that this monkey saved the life of this puppy. Simply an incredible picture!
It makes me think of how much more, we as human beings…who are more intelligent and knowledgeable than animals…can treat other human beings with love, care and compassion. Too many individuals waste too much of their time here on earth being mean, judgmental, and thoughtless to others. Imagine what a better place YOUR WORLD would be if you took the time each day to help others and find ways to be an encouragement and blessing to them.
My Good Time Stories 