A Thanksgiving Thanks

I love Thanksgiving.  I love it for the opportunity it affords to be an on-purpose thanks-giver, and I love it for the moments when we gather with family.  The food is pretty amazing too.

So in the spirit of gratitude, may we all remember to pause occasionally and remember those who serve us, and give them a word of thanks and appreciation.

-To the postal workers and special delivery men and women

-To our medical professionals

-To retail sales clerks

-To grocery clerks who are harried, hassled and hurried

-To ministers and staff who serve faithfully each week

-To our children who keep us young at heart

-To spouses, mothers, grandmothers and daughters who work endless hours preparing all the delicious food we enjoy

And to God on high, who sees us, loves us, likes us, and watches out for us. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving causes me to lift up my eyes and reflect on the life I've been given.  I have much joy, much love, and much abundance.  Sometimes, my points of gratitude get lost in the drama of life, and I lose sight of the important things and people who matter the most. 

Join me in reflecting on those who deserve words of gratitude and thankfulness. 

-I chose to honor God for amazing grace, abundant mercy and furious love.  I am thankful.

-I chose to romance my wife, and remember the fun and funny experiences we've shared this year.  What an abundant measure of love we share.  I am thankful.

-I chose to remember my step-children, their spouses and eight grand-kids and the joy they each add to my life.  I am thankful.

-I chose to reflect on my siblings-each one unique, yet the connection we share is a staple in my life.  I am thankful.

-I chose to remember friends with whom I connect on a regular basis, and others I see less frequently.  I take a small piece of you with me-your voice, your personality, and the memories we've created during our together days.  I am thankful.

When I offer the blessing on Thanksgiving Day you will be on my mind, in my heart and included in all that I honor on that great day.

Happy Thanksgiving 2012!

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

A Mega Dose of 'B'

A Mega Dose of 'B' (Belief)

Earl Nightingale popularized a principle that for many individuals has become the catalyst that helped launch some worthy enterprises. 

The principle - “You become what you think about.”

Thoughts are things.  They can take on a life of their own and they can become reality.  Just look at some of man’s accomplishments that started out as a gleam in someone’s eye.

Man on the moon            Golden Gate Bridge

Seattle Space Needle       Computers

Medical advances            Apple Computers

Microsoft                         Amazon

 

When one thinks …

“I can do that.”

“I can be that!”

… we witness the beginning moments of a great possibility.

Grab onto one of these ideas and see what happens.

“We become what we think about:”

Earl Nightingale

“I dream my painting, and then I paint my dreams.”  

Vincent Van Gogh

“Only those who can see the invisible can accomplish the impossible.

Dr. B. Lown

“Vision is what we see when we close our eyes.”

Kevin Hall

“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

Napoleon Hill

The mind is everything.  A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.”

Marcus Aurelius

“A man is what he thinks about all day long.” 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 “We have to see it before we can be it.  Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream so shall you become.” 

James Allen

“In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action.  I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.”

Michelangelo

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” 

Oprah Winfrey

Reading these quotes is like a mega-dose of vitamins.  It is energizing.

Allow me to close with this well-known quote from The Bible. 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

Hebrews 11:1

Keep the faith.

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Regardless

The election is history. 

The decisions are made.

Some are ecstatic – others gravely disappointed.

Let me encourage you in the middle of all of this.

Regardless of the outcome, remember:

-God is still watching out for the whole world.

-He has already written the final chapter and the outcome is good.

-Prayer works in private and in public when allowed.  Regardless, exercise your privilege.

-Prayer changes diplomats and down-n-outers, politicians and problem people, the media and mechanics, and world leaders and worrisome problems.

-God is still intimately involved in the epic saga of mankind.

-He never promises a rose garden, but he stays by our side in the middle of the thorns.

-Down through the ages God has used all kinds of leaders and all kinds of circumstances to perpetuate his agenda.

-Trust and faith in God is the way.

Be encouraged, my friend. 

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

DC Vacation 2012

Monday Night, Nov 5,
We found the most pleasant DC cab driver named Hank.  We called him for four trips all over DC, and tonight after dinner we asked him to just take us on a night tour of DC so we could take some photos.  Enjoy them.

 The Lincoln Memorial in the far distance, framed by the WWII Memorial.



The Washington Monument

The US Capitol

Monday, Nov 5

We spent a good bit of time in the Holocaust Museum.  Sobering hardly captures the experience here.  What a sad story this museum represents.  The only picture I can post is of an exterior shot, photos were prohibited inside.

If you visit DC, this is a must-see.

And then the Air and Space Museum.  Lots to see here-somewhat mind boggling.





Sunday, Nov 4

Today was museum day.  We began at the National Archives Museum where the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Magna Carta are housed.

Unfortunately we couldn't snap pics inside, but here is an outside view of this massive museum.

In the Museum of Natural History we saw this little gem - The Hope Diamond.  Impressive.



Saturday, Nov 3

Today was a kick back day-recovery day.  We visited Arlington National Cemetery and saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Very impressive.  Row after row of markers reminds me of those men and women who have sacrificed so much down through the years to preserve and protect the very freedoms I enjoy today.  Sobering and reflective moment.

Enjoyed a wonderful Mexican meal in Georgetown-name ??-but yummy.
  
DC has a bus system called the Circulator-cost $1 to ride every time you board.  Great price-convenient.  We also stopped at a famous cupcake shop-Georgetown Cupcakes-and brought four back to our room.  The wait in line was 25 minutes-was worth it we think.  

Tomorrow we do museums-going to see the Declaration of Independence and other famous stuff from the founding of our country.  More info tomorrow. 


Friday, Nov 2

Today we visited the US Capital Building where the Senators and Representatives hang out. Very opulent.  So much marble and lovely hardwood paneled walls and doors everywhere.  

The rotunda was impressive.  There are some wonderful statues of both marble and  bronze-wanted to share a few photos-but later.  

The tour is a worthy tour-we were guided by a staff person from Senator Murray's office.  

A word to the wise-wear comfortable shoes and do a bit of physical conditioning before coming to DC.  You will walk a few miles.





Thurs. Nov 1

Our day  began innocently enough with a ride on the DC Metro Subway system.  Finally figured out the ticketing system, boarded and we are on our way. 

First stop-White House Tour:
Saw The Green Room, The Blue Room, The Red Room, The Bath Room (oops, sorry-not correct-did you know there are 35 br's in the WH?)
Impressive little cottage.  

You must take a Segway tour the next time you do DC.  What a  blast.  

Absolutely loved Lincoln Memorial







Vietnam Memorial

Korean War Memorial

WWII Memorial.

And so many others. 


Fri will be museum day.  




Wed. Oct. 31
Travel day, left Seattle at 6AM.

Arrive Baltimore at 320PM

Met our hosts at their home and took them to dinner, and then drove downtown Baltimore just to see the sights.

Drove by and around Johns Hopkins Hospital and University.  Impressive
Tomorrow-tour the White House, rent Segway's and tour Washington Mall area see what other adventures we can have.


Michael  Biggs
Up-Words

Loving and Being Loved

To love and be loved is enough.

What an amazing thought. 

Have you ever had enough? 

Have you ever felt you were enough?

What this statement says to me is this …

-My life is not about awards

   -Or money

      -Or houses

         -Or positions and titles

-It’s not about where I've been

   -Or whom I've met

      -Or what cloths I wear

Life is about love – connection – relationships.

Hillary Clinton made a remarkable statement at a town hall meeting in Seoul, South Korea.  The large crowd of 2,000 people, plus millions more watching on South Korean television, seemed to hang onto every word she said.  She sounded more like an advice columnist than a Secretary of State for the United States of America.  Here are two gems from her talk.

“Personal relationships are really what’s important in life.”

And then she related this short quote from a scientist friend of hers (un-named unfortunately)

“I have loved and been loved.  All the rest is background music.”

When it comes down to the essentials in life, it becomes about love and relating and relationships. 

I think that is a pretty grand way to live one’s life.

How do we extrapolate this into today’s lifestyle?

We find ways of relating and accepting each other as creatures that have a life, a voice, an opinion and thought processes.  We may look different, speak a different language and dress differently, yet we are individuals and we have a voice and our voices matter.

And we come back to the essentials. 

To love and be loved

Could the world’s ills be cured by this one simple fact?

I wonder.

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Click here to read a similar post from June 2012.

When Gremlins Speak

Some of us have heard Gremlin voices a thousand times, and the words are killing us inside.

They sound like this …

“You’re not good enough. “

“I know things that happened to you growing up.”

“I saw what you did in 3^rd grade, or during your senior year, or on that job site at the lake, or-or-or.”

“You just think you’re somebody.  Well let me tell you …”

“Who do you think you are?”

“You’re nothing special.”

What are these voices doing?  They are trying to shame us.

Sometimes I give voice to the gremlins.  I become the critic and shame myself.

“I’ll never be good enough.”

“Oh I don’t deserve that.”

“Oh I could never do that.”

“Who do I think I am?”

“I can’t pull that off.”

Here’s the point:

We occasionally do bad things.

That does not mean we are bad people.

Quiet the voice that says “Loser.”

Stop the song of “I’m a horrible person.”

Guilt can be dealt with.  I can admit my faults.  They can be improved upon.

But shame … silence the voice of shame forever.

Brené Brown, shame researcher and author of Daring Greatly, talks candidly about this topic. 

She says this:

“Shame is not guilt.”

“Guilt is a focus on behavior.”

“Shame is a focus on self.”

“Shame is ‘I am bad’.”

“Guilt is I did something bad.”

“Shame is highly correlated with addiction, depression, violence, aggression, bullying, eating disorders, and suicide.”

“Shame for women is a web of unattainable, conflicting, competing expectations of who we should be.”

“For men, shame is ‘don’t be perceived as weak’.”

We need to find our way back to each other.  The road to take is “empathy.”

Brené continues:  Two powerful empathy words are “Me too.”

Me too makes us human.  It puts us in the boat without the shame.

Brené says “if you put empathy in a Petri dish with shame, shame cannot grow.”

The “me too” expression adds the human factor and helps eliminate the isolation that accompanies shame.

I've taken this topic as far as I dare.  Now, I must turn you over to Brené’s book if you are interested in reading more. 

 Order your copy of 

Daring Greatly from my 

Amazon bookstore 

by clicking here.

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time