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                        click on the image to learn how

Your scars are beautiful.
They are the brushstrokes
in the masterpiece
that is your life.
Kathy Cawthon

(Editor's note: We have had many requests from subscribers to re-run a few of our most popular affirmations so they can print them out and share them with friends and family who don't have computer access. We are happy to do that over the course of the next several weeks.)

Ancient legend tells of the powerful Amazons, a race of one-breasted female warriors. These fierce fighting women, known for their skill as archers, underwent voluntary mastectomies so their breasts would not interfere with their aim. Their very survival depended upon the radical surgery.

Legend also tells of the Scythian culture in which women were expected to fight alongside the men. A mastectomy of the right breast was performed on female infants to prevent weakening of the pectoral muscle on that side. This ensured the girls would be able to brandish a sword with power and skill.

Scholars debate whether there is any truth behind these popular stories, but – true or not – the tales provide us with a thought-provoking way in which to reframe the way we see our scars.

Instead of looking at the scars on our bodies as reminders of illness and weakness, we could look at them as evidence that illness and weakness were removed from our bodies, making us more powerful than we were before. We could take pride in our scars because they are proof of battles we have fought and won. They speak of our courage and resolve. They tell the stories of our lives.

As we age, our faces and bodies naturally develop lines and wrinkles in addition to the scars that result from accidents and surgeries. Instead of fighting the lines and wrinkles with cosmetic surgeries and hiding our battle scars as if they are shameful or embarrassing, why not look at them as evidence of the rich collection of experiences that have shaped our characters over time
and made us who we are today?

Each of us is a miracle, and each of us is a masterpiece of the Creator.

One-of-a-kind. No two alike. A singular work of art
full of power and promise.

Rejoice in all of your brushstrokes!

Heavenly Father, help me to remember that I am Your creation

and that everything You have created is perfect and beautiful.

 Amen

Roger and Kathy Cawthon

'I Hope You Dance...

This was written by an 83-year-old woman to her friend. *The last line says it all. *

Dear Bertha,

I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time working.

Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.

I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis blossom.

I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank.

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now

I'm not sure what others would've done had they known they wouldn't be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted. I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever their favorite food was.

I'm guessing; I'll never know.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and parents often enough how much I truly love them. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, tell myself that it is special.

Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.

If you received this, it is because someone cares for you. If you're too busy to take the few minutes that it takes right now to forward this, would it be the first time you didn't do the little thing that would make a difference in your relationships? I can tell you it certainly won't be the last.

Take a few minutes to send this to a few people you care about, just to let them know that you're thinking of them.

"People say true friends must always hold hands, but true friends don't need to hold hands because they know the other hand will always be there."

This beauty taken and edited by Maria/louloulemon, my biggest helper on this space, thanks Maria, your the best, hope your having a great time on your vacation.

when we finally know we are dying,

and all other sentient beings are dying with us, 

we start to have a burning,

almost heartbreaking sense of the fragility

and preciousness of each moment and each being,

and from this can grow a deep, clear, l

imitless compassion for all beings.   

by Sogyal Rinpoche

During my cancer experience, I cringed when people said, "Don’t worry. God won’t give you more than you can handle." The fact of the matter is that sometimes people do get more than they can handle, and God didn’t "give" them any of it. I believe in a God who is a gentle, loving father. Gentle, loving fathers don’t hurt and kill their children. God didn’t give me cancer any more than He directed a madman to plant that roadside bomb, broke off that tree limb and allowed it to fall on a little child, burst a vessel in the young mother’s brain or caused the collision that took the doctor’s life. Such tragedies are caused by biological glitches, horrific accidents
and man’s inhumanity to man

The Survivor Movie has been viewed more than 280,000 times in every state in the United States and in more than 48 countries
around the world.

Please keep it going by using the forwarding link at the end of the movie.
This movie and these affirmations are our gifts to you. We hope you will share them by forwarding to everyone for whom
you feel they might have meaning.

http://www.TheSurvivorMovie.com