Words jump out at me. When I heard someone today say, "To begin with..." my thoughts turned to all the possibilities.

To begin with...FAITH!

You cannot say that you have faith if when you fall you give up. Faith means you will be given the strength to rise, or the

hand to be lifted up. But don't lie there waiting. God provides for the smallest bird, but He doesn't throw the seed into the

nest. They were created to fly.



To begin with...HOPE!

Trust that in all things there is hope. Even when we cannot see the opportunity, there it is in the out stretched hand, the listening ear, the smiling face, the sunrise.



To begin with...LOVE!

If you cannot see love in your life perhaps you need to put life in your love. Begin by accepting who you are and all you can be. This confidence will give you the power to love outside yourself. Love is not love until it is given away. To love is to honor God.



To begin with...FRIENDSHIP!

If you want to have friends, BE ONE!

Sometimes friendship, like love, appears one sided.

Sometimes people need more than they give.

Trust that in doing for another the act

is the gift you give yourself.



To begin with...THE PRESENT!

Where you are at the moment is a result of where you have been. We only have the past and the present. No one is guaranteed tomorrow.

Learn from yesterday and begin anew with the Present.



To begin with...LOSS!

Succumb to the feelings of loss. The heart cannot heal until pain is acknowledged.

Tears are not a sign of weakness but an acceptance of the reality, a release for the bereaved.



Faith, Hope, Love and Friendship

will be your strength in the Present.

Even in loss there is much to be gained.



To begin with...

"I believe in you!"