The Wisdom In Hot Chocolate

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were discussing their lives at a class reunion. They decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired, who was always an inspiration to them. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work, lives and relationships.

Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups. Some cups were porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite. He invited each to help themselves to the hot chocolate. When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand,the professor shared his thoughts.

“Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.”

“While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.”

“The cup that you are drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.”

“What each of you really wanted was hot chocolate. You did not want the cup . . . but you consciously went for the best cups.”

“And soon, you began to eye one another’s cups.”

“Now friends, please consider this . . .

“Life is the hot chocolate . . .your job, money and position in society are the cups.”

“They are just tools to hold and contain life.”

“The cup you have does not define,nor does it change, the quality of life you are living.”

“Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup,we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us.”

Always remember this . . . . . . . . . . God brews the hot chocolate, He does not choose the cup.

The happiest people don't have the best of everything.

They just make the best of everything that they have!!

Live simply . . . Love generously . . . Care deeply . . .Speak kindly . . .

Leave the rest to God.~ and remember ~ The richest person is not the one who has the most,but the one who needs the least. Enjoy your hot chocolate!!

TO ALL MY FRIENDS

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
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 wrongdoing 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 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 now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They 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.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person 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 friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

A special thank you to Esra K. who shared this with me.

Did I Marry the Right Person

I found this article to be so true and wanted to share it.  Hope you will find it helpful.

Did I marry the Right Person?

During one of our seminars, a women asked a common question.

She said, "how do I know if I married the right person?"

I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said, " It depends. Is that your husband?" In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?"

Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind.

Here is the answer.

EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies.

Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a complete natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything.  That's why it's called "falling" in love...

People in love sometimes say, " I was swept off my feet" Think of the imagery of that_expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, an then something happened came along and happened TO YOU.

Falling in love is easy. It's passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few years of marriage , the euphoria of love fades.  It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts.

The symptom of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/ or your spouse might start asking, "Did I marry the right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages breakdown. People blame there spouse for their unhappiness and look outside there marriage for fulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances.

But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies with in it. I am not saying you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this):

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the _expression "the labour of love". Because it takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe( such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make you your marriage stronger. It's direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the law, the results are predictable... you can "make" love.

Love in a marriage is indeed a "decision"... Not just a feeling.

Remember this always

" God determines who walks into your life.

It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go."