Happy Birthday today to my brother Donny!!! I love working with you bro. 👍♥️ We celebrated his 61st at the end of our last Christmas show on Friday because he and his wife Debbie took off right after the show for Italy to see their son who’s coming home from his mission. 😘♥️ I love this video of him on his 21st birthday, and now here it is 40 years later. #TimeFliesWhenYoureGettingOld 😂🤣
The one thing life has shown me is “we are born and we die”, but what matters most is what we do in between. That was never more apparent than the life of George Bush. The coverage of his death was such a celebration of life! It’s always been interesting to see at the end of a person’s life who steps forward to honor them. I met George Bush at Ronald Reagan’s inauguration when I performed with my brother Donny. My Mom loved his wife Barbara for the incredible example of womanhood she was and held her in great esteem. One of the many things that hit my heart were all the letters he wrote and how much they meant to the recipients! One that stood out to me was “advice to young people” I enjoyed it so much I immediately knew I wanted to share it here in this Sunday post.
Don’t get down when your life takes a bad turn. Out of adversity comes challenge and often success.
This is difficult to see right away, although failure is a part of life it is still hard to see how much we benefit from adversity when we are right in the middle of it. 😩When things get challenging, I try to remind myself that “all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good”. So let’s remind ourselves when we get down.. there is a silver lining!Don’t blame others for your setbacks
This should be underlined so we can think about it at least a hundred times a day!! Blame is toxic and I know the negative feelings it causes lessens our ability to learn from the problem or challenge. When we feel we are making excuses, justifying behaviors or blaming others, it’s time to consciously stop and find something else to think about!When things go well, always give credit to others.
None of us got where we are alone... what you may see of my work highlights me, but what you don’t see are all the people around me who are working just as hard as I am and without them “the show would not go on,” literally! It gives me great joy to “sing the praises” of others who work so hard on my behalf. I love to see the joy of appreciation on their faces when I sincerely tell them how grateful I am for them.Don’t talk all the time, listen to your friends and mentors and learn from them.
Me? Not talk? Now that’s a challenge! 😂 But seriously big companies spend millions of dollars every year to help their employees communicate one to another. I have a friend who is an amazing listener, she can come away from a single gathering with new friends, recipes and recommendations for 3 or 4 books to read! People simply adore her because she really listens to them….Give someone else a hand. When a friend is hurting, show that friend you care.
Serving others will always bring us joy, and truly there is nothing better than helping someone. From letting a person go ahead of you in line to simply making a phone call or even sending a kind text or hand written note... reach out to someone everyday.Nobody likes an overbearing big shot. Let others point out your virtues and your strong points.
Can’t you just hear President Bush saying this? 😀He was the President and he didn’t consider himself a big deal. Now if the former leader of the free world doesn’t think he’s a big deal well we certainly shouldn’t either. The best quote of anything I heard the past few days was by Alan Simpson who said, “Those who take the high road of humility in Washington are seldom bothered by heavy traffic.” Isn’t that fabulous?!!! 👍♥️ Let’s strive to always take that road... and as Tim McGraw says it so well, “Always stay humble and kind.” #MusicIsMedicine 😂👍As you succeed, be kind to people. Thank those who help you along the way.
As you can see, President Bush truly learned the practice of being, “kinder and gentler”. It really worked because you could see in the end how people absolutely loved him. He learned to forgive and love people even when they weren’t so kind through his life and he thanked them every chance he got.Don’t be afraid to shed a tear when your heart is broken because a friend is hurting.
From the Old Testament we see a reference to mourning because a friend is hurting:
2 Samuel 1:12: "And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword."
And the Saviour was just such a friend... one of my very favorite parts of the Bible is right before the Savior raises Lazarus from the dead and Mary and Martha come out to greet him with, “if you had been here Lazarus wouldn’t have died.” The Savior knew Mary and Martha were going to be a part of His greatest miracle but they didn’t know that. And what happens next is the shortest scripture in the Bible, "Jesus wept.” Even though He knew they would be rejoicing in just a few minutes He took the time to cry with them. Let’s take the time to mourn with our family and friends.💔Say your prayers!
This might be the most important one of all the points President Bush said... say your prayers! I try to say my prayers with this pattern, my “thank you’s” are first... I thank Him for everything, all my blessings and... even my challenges. Then comes the “forgive me”. I ask for forgiveness and help with challenges and situations and also solutions to problems and then I ask for forgiveness and the hope to start over. The last is my “please” list. As I pray, I find the more specific I am with things as... my husband and our children…the more I feel God is really listening, I feel His peace that He hears me. I ask for protection, knowledge and especially wisdom. I LOVE to pray! It’s not a mere consolation of the heart… It’s a miraculous power God has given us to communicate personally with Him. Then after we pray…don’t forget the listening part! 🤔 So let’s “phone home” more often! 📞 👍😉
I loved hearing this advice from a President this week! With all the experiences of life he went through and participated in, I trust in his wisdom. Although it was a solemn occasion, remembering President Bush was inspiring. His life example has made me want to be a better person... a little kinder, a little gentler… I like that! ♥️
Happy Sunday!