It is such a gorgeous day here today, temperature of 82'F, sunny and cool breeze, flowers in full bloom everywhere. I played golf in Kastle Greens Golf Course--such a nice golf course surrounded by ponds/lakes and driving along beautiful Virginia countryside on my way home..what a wonderful, wonderful world! God is soooo good!!

A Sanctuary

It is almost midnight and I am still wide awake. I am sitting here outside our house--in our deck, sipping a glass of Chianti. As I look up in the sky I can see the full moon is partly hidden, but its rays that pierce through dark, heavy cumulus clouds illuminate some parts of this world. April is almost ending but the temperature today is 68'F and tonight it's only 48'F. The chilly evening soothed my tired feeling from working in our yard almost all morning and then work later in the day....My daughters, Michelle and Rhea went to bed early so I am all alone with my thoughts and feelings at this very moment. It's been quite awhile since I had this luxury of just sitting and enjoying the night all by myself, just me and my glass of wine.. no decision to make not even future plan to think or worry about. Since I started working, my schedule has been quite tight and my time has been crazy. Between home, work, friends and family, hobbies and interests, I practically have no time like this, to just sit down and relax. But I do not complain. I am so blessed to have the job that really works with my schedule and just happy to work for the company that I am proud to be with. My family, my passions and everything I do are the sources of my self fulfillment. They made me feel I accomplished something every day. The challenges I encounter make me more alive and motivate me to go beyond and discover more about myself every time. They reinforce my feeling that I am still at the prime of my life and there are still endless possibilities that I can do to make life more exciting and worth living to the fullest. And even at this stage, I feel that there are still countless things that are worth trying. Life does not pause or becomes slow for me just because I am in my mid forties.

And for now, I have this time. At this moment, I feel peace and quiet. The silence of the night is made melodious by the soft sounds of night insects and rustling leaves. The music they create pacifies my tired body. The loudest noise I hear is the chirping of the crickets and once in a while, croaking of the frogs in our pond. Although Northern Virginia is a suburb of traffic nightmareWashington, DC most home neighborhoods here are nestled in the woods away from the traffic and busy streets. It is refreshing, it is always peaceful where we are. Here I can always find some moment of silence, talk to God, spend time in calm and harmony, away from the hustle and bustle of the urban jungle. It rejuvenates my spirit. It is so divine spending this quality of time alone. Truly, a sanctuary for my soul...Thank you Lord! I am blessed..

Check Your Jar

I really appreciate it when friend sends me emails of beautiful or touching story, amazing pictures and humor stories . Today, I want to share this story for you to ponder. This was sent to me this morning and although many of you might have come across this in way or another, it may touch you differently now than the last time you read it...

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,

 When 24 hours in a day is not enough;

remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class

and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly,

he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar

and start to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured

it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.

The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again

if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand

and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded

With an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table

and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively

filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,

'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things - God, family,

friends, health, and favorite passions

Things that if everything else was lost

and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --

The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued,

'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,

You will never have room for the things that are

important to you.

So

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Take time to get medical checkups.

Take your partner out to dinner.

Play with your children.

There will always be time

to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.

'Take care of the golf balls first --

The things that really matter.

Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand

and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.

'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'