A joyful heart is like the sunshine of God’s love, the hope of eternal happiness. ~ Mother Teresa
sunshine
Sunshine & Shadow ~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Sunshine and Shadow
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Life has its shadows, as well as its sun;
Its lights and its shades, all twined together.
I tried to single them out, one by one,
Single and count them, determining whether
There was less blue than there was grey,
And more of the deep night than of the day.
But dear me, dear me, my task’s but begun,
And I am not half way into the sun.
For the longer I look on the bright side of earth,
The more of the beautiful do I discover;
And really, I never knew what life was worth
Till I searched the wide storehouse of happiness over.
It is filled from the cellar well up to the skies,
With things meant to gladden the heart and the eyes.
The doors are unlocked, you can enter each room,
That lies like a beautiful garden in bloom.
Yet life has its shadow, as well as its sun;
Earth has its storehouse of joy and sorrow.
But the first is so wide – and my task’s but begun –
That the last must be left for a far-distant morrow.
I will count up the blessings God gave in a row,
But dear me! When I get through them, I know
I shall have little tine left for the rest,
For life is a swift-flowing river at best.
Today’s Reflection ~ It’s All About Attitude
Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Today’s Reflection ~ Good Things are Coming Your Way
Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you. ~ Walt Whitman
Wellness Tip ~ Loving Sunshine Vitamin D
“New research says that vitamin D may play a crucial role in weight loss by controlling appetite and helping fat cells become more metabolically active,” Dr. Oz says. The sunshine vitamin also helps your body better absorb bone-boosting calcium, improves immunity, reduces inflammation, and may even protect against some forms of cancer. . . . The best sources [of vitamin D] are salmon, tuna, and mackerel (especially the flesh),” Dr. Oz says, adding that “fish liver oils, beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks also contain small amounts.” And, don’t forget the most convenient source of all: sunlight. “Vitamin D is actually produced in your body when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike your skin; the UV rays trigger synthesis of vitamin D, which then gets converted in your liver into its active form.”
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Wellness Tip
New research says that vitamin D may play a crucial role in weight loss by controlling appetite and helping fat cells become more metabolically active . . . The sunshine vitamin also helps your body better absorb bone-boosting calcium, improves immunity, reduces inflammation, and may even protect against some forms of cancer. Nearly 75 percent of Americans are vitamin-D deficient, so there’s a good chance you’re not getting your recommended daily dose of 400 IU (some people may need as much as 1000 IU, so check with your doctor to find out what’s right for you).
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Today’s Reflection ~ Happiness
“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” – James Matthew Barrie
The Rainy Day ~ Poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
THE RAINY DAY
The day is cold, and dark, and dreary
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.
Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.
I and the Bird ~ Poem about Life
I and The Bird
I, and the bird,
And the wind together,
Sang a supplication
In the winter weather.
The bird sang for sunshine,
And the trees for winter fruit,
And for love in the spring time
When the thickets shoot.
And I sang for patience
When the teardrops start;
Clean hands and clear eyes,
And a faithful heart.
—Arthur C. Benson.
Sound of Sunshine Performed by Michael Franti & Spearhead
A Very Joyful and Happy Song
