[YourMorningCoffee] MORNING COFFEE

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Hug's

Jan xox

GLIMPSES OF GREATNESS

Greatness is too often defined by an unusual act of courage or a life of extraordinary merit or virtue. But glimpses of greatness can be seen all around us, and especially in those who genuinely care for others.

Father Albert Braun was such a man. After his ordination, he requested to live amongst some of the poorest of the world's poor. He was sent to the Mescalero Apache reservation in south central New Mexico (USA). Father Braun learned to love the Apache. And as he lived with them, he learned from them and they learned from him. They became family.

He stayed many years on the reservation but left it twice to serve as a chaplain during both World Wars. He almost died in World War II when his Allied forces tried to defend the Philip-pine Islands from attack. Many of his comrades died during the fighting and Father Braun risked his own life to comfort the wounded and give the dying Last Rites. He was forced to march with no food and little water. Along the way, many more of the men died. And in the prisoner of war camps, more lives yet were lost to disease, cruel physical treatment and malnutrition.

Father Braun had learned much from the Apache about surviving off the land. When he went out on work detail, he found fruit and edible vegetables that he smuggled back into the camp to help supplement the men's diets. Once he acquired the vaccine for diphtheria that he also secreted into camp, but it wasn't enough. They drew lots to determine who would get the medicine. Though afflicted himself, he gave his portion to a young soldier. Before long, he suffered simultaneously from diphtheria, malaria, dysentery and beriberi.

He barely survived the war. Later, he asked to be returned to New Mexico to live once again with the Apache. When he knew that his own death was near, Father Braun requested to be buried on the reservation, surrounded by his Apache "family."

Today, at the church of St. ph, one can see portraits of the Apache's greatest chiefs and warriors. There is a portrait of Geronimo, one of Cochise, a picture of Victorio and a portrait of Father Albert Braun, who came to live among them as a true friend.

Father Braun showed a certain greatness, not by any one heroic deed, but by the sum total of a life of caring. I believe we can catch glimpses of greatness in the lives of anybody who genuinely care.

Steve Goodier

Hand in hand with setbacks and challengescomes discouragement. It's ferocity can stopyou in your tracks and before you know it yourdreams seem unreachable. Stop! This is only true if you give in.

Today is the day you will conquerdiscouragement. Today is the day you will feelmore determined and stronger than ever,Today is the day you will put one foot in frontof the other and persevere.

Make a commitment to yourself that you will never give up when you feel disheartened, butrather, you will view these feelings as a signto work harder.

You're entitled to your dreams andaspirations. So why not make this

commitment today?

Even a small kindness can have a big impact. Because kindness, once it is given, takes on a life of its own. Even a small kindness can reach far, far beyond you. Because kindness is multiplied as time goes on. Do you want to quickly and profoundly change your world for the better? Kindness is a powerful way to make that happen. No, not every kindness you give will be immediately appreciated or acknowledged or passed along. Yet genuine kindness is impossible to deny, and even when it seems to accomplish nothing, kindness does indeed have an impact. In fact, the less effective kindness seems to be at first, the longer and more profoundly its power will be felt. For in one way or another, kindness always makes a difference. Live with kindness and you live with strength, with confidence, with positive effectiveness. Live with kindness and you make your world a better place to be. Ralph Marston

Dear Readers, " Morning Coffee " is a labor of love and meant to be shared with others to spread encouragement and inspiration. If you share, please be kind and give credit where credit is due and copy and paste or forward with Page Header and contact information included.Thank you , " Morning Coffee"Created, and maintained by:Dizzyrizzy@... GrandmaGail2BC@...Copyright © 1996 -2008" Morning Coffee" all rights reserved. Subscribe: YourMorningCoffee-subscribe

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WHERE CHANGE BEGINS

An old mystic said this about himself: "I was a revolutionary when I was young, and my prayer to God was, 'Lord, give me the strength to change the world.'

As I approached middle age and realized that my life was halfway gone with­out changing a single soul, I changed my prayer to, 'Lord, give me the grace to change all those who come into contact with me, especially my family and friends, and I shall be satisfied.'

Now that I am an old man, and my days are num­bered, I have begun to see how foolish I have been. Now my one prayer is this, 'Lord, give me the grace to change myself.' If I had prayed that right from the start, I would not have wasted my life."

We can waste years trying to change other people. But we can only really change one person - ourselves. In the end, that is probably enough.

Steve Goodier

One song can spark a moment,One flower can wake the dream.One tree can start a forest,One bird can herald spring.

One smile begins a friendship,One handclasp lifts a soul.One star can guide a ship at sea,One word can frame the goal.

One vote can change a nation,One sunbeam lights a room.One candle wipes out darkness,One laugh will conquer gloom.

One step must start each journey,One word must start each prayer.One hope will raise our spirits,One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom,One heart can know what is true.One life can make the difference,

When you can clearly see where you're going, you greatly improve your chances of getting there. The more clearly you can visualize your goals, the more likely you are to reach them. Pursuing a vaguely defined objective is like traveling through a thick fog. It's slow and difficult to make any progress, and even when you arrive you may not know you're there. Yet when your goals are clear, specific, and filled with rich detail, all kinds of great opportunities for moving toward them will continue to come into view. Your progress will be swift and sure, and you'll enjoy increasingly abundant rewards as you draw closer to them. If you're putting forth the effort to get somewhere, take the time to determine exactly where it is, what it will look like, and how it will be. Get clear on your goals, and you'll find plenty of ways to achieve them. Keep your goals clearly in sight by reminding yourself of them on a continuing basis. Experience them often in your own mind, and you'll soon be experiencing them in the reality of the outer world. Rise above the fog of fuzzy wishes, and make your intentions clear and specific. That will point you solidly toward wherever you want to go. Ralph Marston

Dear Readers, " Morning Coffee " is a labor of love and meant to be shared with others to spread encouragement and inspiration. If you share, please be kind and give credit where credit is due and copy and paste or forward with Page Header and contact information included.Thank you , " Morning Coffee"Created, and maintained by:Dizzyrizzy@... GrandmaGail2BC@...Copyright © 1996 -2008" Morning Coffee" all rights reserved.

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