I dreamed I had an

interview with God!

I dreamed I had an interview with God.

"Come in," God said. "So, you would like to interview Me?"

"If you have the time," I said. God smiled and said:

"My time is eternity and is enough to do everything;

what questions do you have in mind to ask me?"

"What surprises you most about mankind?"

God answered: "That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again.

That they lose their health to make money and then

lose their money to restore their health.

That by thinking anxiously about the future,

they forget the present, such that they live neither

for the present nor the future.

That they live as if they will never die,

and they die as if they had never lived..."

God's hands took mine and we were silent

for while and then I asked...

"As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you

want your children to learn?"

God replied with a smile:

"To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved.

To learn that it takes years to build trust,

and a few seconds to destroy it.

To learn that what is most valuable

is not what they have in their lives,

but who they have in their lives.

To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others.

All will be judged individually on their own merits,

not as a group on a comparison basis!

To learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most,

but is one who needs the least.

To learn that it only takes a few seconds

to open profound wounds in persons we love,

and that it takes many years to heal them.

To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.

To learn that there are persons that love them dearly,

but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings.

To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.

To learn that two people can look at the

same thing and see it totally different.

To learn that a true friend in someone who

knows everything about them...and likes them anyway.

that they be forgiven by others, but that they have

to forgive themselves."

I sat there for awhile enjoying the moment. I thanked

Him for his time and for all that

He has done for me and my family, and He replied,

"Anytime. I'm here 24 hours a day.

All you have to do is ask for me, and I'll answer

TEN COMMANDMENTS

OF PARENTING

1. Enjoy your children. Being a parent is a privilege. Children grow so quickly and leave home so soon.
2. Understand your children. Learn what concepts they are capable of at their age. Help them grow in all areas of development; intellectually, emotionally, socially, physically, sexually, and spiritually, then your teaching will be effective and learning long-lasting.
3. Communicate with your children. Words are threads with which we are woven together.
4. Discipline your children. Teach them to be socially acceptable and self-disciplined in a way that will not lower their self- image.
5. Help your children understand they are made up of emotions and feelings , and are sexual beings. It makes us human. We are not responsible for our feelings, but we are responsible for how we act on those feelings.
6. Develop a long lasting and good relationship with your child, then all your strengths and weaknesses as a parent can be tolerated by him or her.
7. Teach your children to feel good about themselves so that they can feel good about others.
8. Give your children moral guidance so they can grow into adults who care about others.
9. Love your children for who they are. They are individuals entrusted into your care. You have been chosen from all parents to parent the children you have.10. Learn parenting skills so you can feel confident as a parent, and your responsibility as a parent can be made joyous.

A CHILD LEARNS!

When you Thought I Wasn’t Looking.

“When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I wanted to paint another.

I saw you feed a stray, and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.

I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it’s all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked. . . and wanted to say thanks for all the things I saw. . . when you thought I wasn’t looking.”

Irish Proverbs

& Sayings

"You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was."-- Irish Proverb
"The most beautiful music of all is the music of what happens."-- Irish Proverb
"A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book."-- Irish Proverb
"You never miss the water till the well has run dry."-- Irish Proverb
"Half a loaf of bread is better than no bread at all."-- Irish Proverb
"Remember even if you loose all, keep your good name; for if you loose that you are worthless."-- Irish Proverb
"An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold onto one blade of grass to keep from falling off the earth."-- Irish Saying "Don't be breaking your shin on a stool that's not in your way."-- Irish Saying

NINE NOBLE VIRTUES

Honour is the feeling of inner value and worth from which one knows that one is noble of being, and the desire to show respect for this quality when it is found in the world. Of all the Virtues, this one is often the hardest to define, as each person's interpretation of this is different. It could translate as "self-image", or "self-esteem", and is important to recognise that this will be different from person to person.
Truth is the willingness to be honest and to say what one knows to be true and right. It is often better to not say anything at all if one cannot be honest. But likewise, when one does say something, it is best to be truthful and speak what one sees, not what others would like to hear. We also have a caveat on the concept of Truth, and that is that whilst we should endeavour to speak the truth at all times, do not be fooled into speaking the truth when others lie to you..
Courage is the bravery to do what is right at all times. This can be likened to being brave enough to live by the Nine Noble Virtues and for the Six-fold Goal. But as always, what one person believes is right, may not be what another sees as right.
Perseverance is the ability to return from defeat and/or failure. Each time we have a setback, we recognise this, and if the purpose is true, we continue until success is won.
Fidelity is the will to be loyal to one's Gods and Goddesses, to one's Folk, and to one's self. How one interprets the concept of loyalty is largely up to the individual as there are many different levels of loyalty, and hence Fidelity. But each person knows within themselves, just what this means to them, and it is important that others understand this, to be able to form the bonds of loyalty that exist on all levels.
Discipline is the willingness to be hard on oneself first and then if needed on others, so that greater purposes may be achieved. We must always be hardest on ourselves, to set the example. It is very easy to work at the level of do as I say, not as I do. But in this we dishonour ourselves and we dishonour others. Leading by example is what this is all about.
Hospitality is the willingness to share what one has with one's fellows, especially when they are far from home. This is not the same as giving out all your worldly possessions to anyone who comes by a begging. It is the concept of sharing, which is reciprocated by all trúe folk when they have you as a guest in their homes. It is important to establish and reaffirm the bonds of friendship, and kinship that Hospitality is observed.
Industriousness is the willingness to work hard, always striving for efficiency, as a joyous activity in itself. It is vital that we work hard at what we seek to achieve, for without consistent and well-directed effort, our goals will not be reached. But it does not mean that we should work all the time, indeed one should be industrious in ones leisure pursuits as well, and avoid the concept of making work for the sake of having work to do.Self Reliance is the spirit of independence, which is achieved not only for the individual, but also for the family, clan, tribe and nation. It is not a concept of denying ones interconnectedness with others, but of ensuring that one can take care of oneself first, then ones family and loved ones, then the extended family (clan), the tribe (ones local grouping) and the nation. By being self-reliant we can then share what we have with others and fulfill the duty of Hospitality, the entire better.