Raymond D. Longoria Jr.

Forgiveness... a secret garden where Joy and miracles abound, and the garden is always open to everyone who makes the Loving choice to visit there.

Life without Gratitude, is like trying to drown your sorrows by teaching them to swim.

None of us got to where we are alone. Whether the assistance we received was obvious or subtle, acknowledging that helpis a very important part of understanding...and is also the importance of saying... THANK YOU.

My Mom often said... Every minute spent with Mr. wrong is a minute that can't be spent with Mr. Right.

If ever there was a dwelling worthy of the Creator, it would be... in a truly Thankful heart.

Everything I am longing for - peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of my abundance - will surely be mine... when I am prepared to receive ALL with an open and Thankful heart.

Giving Thanks unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have, no matter how little, into more than enough. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. Gratitude can change a modest meal into a feast, a humble house into a loving home, a stranger into a caring friend.

The most difficult experience one might ever have, is to grieve the loss of a Loved-one who is still alive.

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly._ __ichard David BachThe caterpillar believes it is dying because it's being sealed in a tomb. The Master knows that the caterpillar is not dying, and is simply transitioning (to something more). This points out that things are never over, that change is carrying us, (so often kicking and screaming), to higher states of being.I find it interesting that the caterpillar spends it's caterpillar existence crawling, (on a lone weed in the midst of an endless beautiful forest), surviving on bitter, poisonous leaves. Yet resists the changes to come.After the caterpillars "death"... And upon the butterflie's rebirth... The butterfly lives out it's butterfly existence experiencing all of the forest's wonders, being carried by the wind, landing on beauty, and drinking sweet nectar, all the while, being shielded from harm by the caterpillar's bitter and poisonous experiences of eating the weeds.Without the struggles of the caterpillar, the butterfly could never be.It is Truly wonderful how something as simple as caterpillars and butterflies can be such amazing reminders sent to us by a Loving Eternal Creator.

Depression is the feeling that everythingis a waste of time.Joy is KNOWING that nothing in this Life is a waste.

God does Love Us and does meet the needs of each and every one of us through Attending Angels. Those Angelic deeds are most often accomplished through the Human Connection. The Human Connection being other Persons who Kindly journey closely with us acting as God's Hands: many for just moments and some for decades. We each have a multitude of opportunities in this Life to literally act as God's Hands (as His Angels) in the Lifting Up of our Fellow Beings. I find myself most Grateful in this Knowledge.

If I must have regrets, I Pray that all of them are for fearlessly jumping in with both feet, rather than for having never sampled the water at all.

When I pass-away (as each of us must) release a balloon into the sky with ashes attached, to celebrate my graduation... My graduation from this life to the next.

When you smile and no one else is around, you definitely mean it.

Know that EVERYTHING in Life has purpose. There are no accidents, no coincidences, EVERY moment is a blessing given for our Spiritual benefit and learning.

I feel that 'Thank you' is about the best prayer that anyone could say. A sincere prayer of Thanks expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding.

Fear is like the Devil, both grudgingly reveal their ultimately futile ability to halt our Spiritual Growth, and keep us from our Eternal home, as we progress ever nearer to our Perfected Loving Creator.

I find my greatest Power when I am Kind.