water

Moving water turns the mill wheel.

(Think of one's self as a teakettle) : Though up to it's neck in hot water, It continues to sing.

Two amateur artists were asked to paint something depicting "peace." On the appointed day, both artists brought their paintings to be shown. One picture was of a quiet, rippleless lake. Here indeed was peace as seen by an artist. The other painting showed a gnarled tree standing on the precipice in a rugged canyon. Nearby was a thundering waterfall, and the river dashed on, angrily below. In the tree, near her nest, a bird was perched, singing above the clamor of the torrent of the water below. A sudden change in the wind could bring disaster to the frail limb upon which the bird and her nest were located. But instinctively she knew that if that happened, she and her young ones could use their wings and mount to the sky. Yes, the two artists had fulfilled what they had been asked to do. One painted a scene depicting the quiet beauty of peace. The other had seen the majestic splendor that accompanies inner peace.

It is difficult to place a monetary value on the many vital services that trees provide. However, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection calculates that a single tree that lives for fifty years will contribute service worth nearly $200,000 (in 1994 dollars) to the community during its lifetime. This includes providing oxygen ($31,250), recycling water and regulating humidity ($37,000), controlling air pollution ($62,500), producing protein ($2,500), providing shelter for wildlife ($31,250), and controlling land erosion and fertilizing the soil ($31,250).

Told that her grandson had married a kook, grandma said, "That's nice. So many girls these days can't boil water."

If you have been tempted into evil, fly from it. It is not falling into the water, but lying in it, that drowns.

Sooner or later, a man, if he is wise, discovers that life is a mixture of good days and bad, victory and defeat, give and take. He learns that it doesn't pay to let things get his goat; that he must let some things go over his head like water off a duck's back. He learns that carrying a chip on his shoulder is the quickest way to get into a fight. He learns that buck-passing acts as a boomerang. He learns that carrying tales and gossip about others is the surest way to become unpopular. He learns that giving others a mental lift by showing appreciation and praise is the best way to lift his own spirits. He learns that the world will not end when he fails or makes an error; that there is always another day and another chance. He learns that listening is frequently more important than talking, and that he can often make a friend by letting the other fellow tell his troubles. He learns that all men have burnt toast for breakfast now and then, and that he shouldn't let their grumbling get him down. He learns that people are not any more difficult to get along with in one place than another, and that "getting along" depends about 98 per cent on his own behavior.

That each day I may walk unceasingly on the banks of my water, that my soul may repose on the branches of the trees which I planted, that I may refresh myself under the shadow of my sycamore.

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

A newspaper subscriber commented: Since reading that report, I've made a conscious effort to recall my blessings nearly every hour. Instead of dreading the drudgery of cleaning house, I express gratitude for my home. I've found so many things to be grateful for, little things like running water and electricity. A few weeks ago, I complained because my knees ached; now I say how grateful I am that I can walk. I think it's important to express our gratitude out loud. The positive focus on gratitude has pushed out of my mind the negative thoughts that were dragging me down.