Merry Christmas!

WINTER OF YOUR LIFE

You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.

It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all…

And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams… But, here it is..the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise…

How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? And where did my youth go?

I remember well… seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like…

But, here it is…wife retired and she’s really getting gray…she moves slower and I see an older woman now. She’s in better shape than me… but, I see the great change… Not the one I married who was young and vibrant… but, like me, her age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we’d be.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore…it’s mandatory! Cause if I don’t on my own free will…I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things.

But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I’m not sure how long it will last…This I know, that when it’s over…its over…Yes , I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn’t done ,,,,,things I should have done. But indeed, there are many things I’m happy to have done. Its all in a lifetime…

So, if you’re not in your winter yet…let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly!

Life goes by quickly So, do what you can today, because you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not!

You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life…so, live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember…

“Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who came after. Make it a FANTASTIC one.” Make 2010 the best year of your life. LIVE IT WELL!! – Author Unknown

Merry Christmas!
Christmas is forever, not for just one day,
for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away
like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do yourself…
- Norman Wesley Brooks

Never Give Up On a Dream

Inspirational YouTube video of the moment.  D.J. Gregory shows us all how, “Success come in cans, Failure comes in can’ts”

http://vodpod.com/watch/1165857-walk-on-espn-video

Never give up on a dream and never say you can’t.  D.J. didn’t..

A Boy Named Kyle

One day, when I was a freshman in high school,   I saw a kid from my class walking home from school.   His name was Kyle.

It looked like he was carrying all of his books.   I thought to myself, “Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?  He must really be a nerd.”

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

 As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.  They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.  His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.

He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.

 My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, “Those guys are jerks.  They really should get lives.”

  He looked at me and said, “Hey, thanks!”

 There was a big smile on his face.  It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.

 As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.   He said he had gone to private school before now.

 I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.  He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.

I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends and me.   He said yes.

We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

 Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.

I stopped him and said, “Boy, you are going to really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!   He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.  When we were seniors we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.  I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship.

 Kyle was valedictorian of our class.  I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation.   I was so glad it wasn’t me having to get up there and speak.

 Graduation day, I saw Kyle.  He looked great.  He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.  He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.  He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.  Boy, sometimes I was jealous! 

 Today was one of those days.

  I could see that he was nervous about his speech.  So, I smacked him on the back and said, “Hey, big guy, you’ll be great!”  He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.

  “Thanks,” he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began.

 ”Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years…  your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach…but mostly your friends.

 I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.

  I am going to tell you a story.” 

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met.

 He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.  He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn’t have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.

  He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.  “Thankfully, I was saved.   My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.”

  I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.  I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.  Not until that moment did I realize its depth.

 Never underestimate the power of your actions.  With one small gesture you can change a person’s life.

For better or for worse. God puts us all in each other’s lives to impact one another in some way.  

 ”Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.”

There is no beginning or end.  Yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.   

 Today is a gift.  Spend it wisely!

 Author Unknown

Welcome to JimKlips

Hello!

My name is Jim Kelley and I am currently in the process of writing an ebook entitled, JimKlips.

The content of this ebook will be motivational, inspirational, instructional and humorous stories that I have compiled over the years.  Its purpose will be to lift the spirits of those who read it and to know that with the proper attitude relating to situations we encounter, they all can work to our benefit.

Here is a sample of the contents for your enjoyment.  It is entitled, “You are my Sunshine” and I hope that you get pure enjoyment from reading.

You are My Sunshine, My only Sunshine

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling.

They found out that the new baby was going be a girl, and day after day,
night after night, Michael sang to his sister in mommy’s tummy.

He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met
her.The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown , Tennessee

In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every five minutes, every
three, every minute. But serious complications arose during delivery and
Karen found herself in hours of labor.

Would a C-section be required? Finally, after a long struggle, Michael’s
little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition.

With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to
the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary’s Hospital, Knoxville ,
Tennessee The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The
pediatrician had to tell the parents there is very little hope. Be
prepared for the worst.

Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot.
They had fixed up a special room in their house for their new baby but
now they found themselves having to plan for a funeral. Michael,
however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. I want to
sing to her, he kept saying.

Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the
week was over.

Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never
allowed in Intensive Care. Kar en decided to take Michael whether they
liked it or not.

If he didn’t see his sister right then, he may never see her alive.
She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU.
He looked like a walking laundry basket.

The head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed,

‘Get that kid out of here now. No children are allowed.’

The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse’s face, her lips a firm line.

‘He is not leaving until he sings to his sister’ she stated.

Then Karen towed Michael to his sister’s bedside.
He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live.
After a moment, he began to sing.

In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang:

‘You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,
you make me happy when skies are gray.’
Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond.
The pulse rate began to calm down and become steady.

‘Keep on singing, Michael,’ encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes.

‘You never know, dear, how much I love you,
please don’t take my sunshine away.’
As Michael sang to his sister, the baby’s ragged,
strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten’s purr
‘Keep on singing, sweetheart.’

‘The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my
arms’ Michael’s little sister began to relax as rest,
healing rest, seemed to sweep over her.

‘Keep on singing, Michael.’
Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse.
Karen glowed.

‘You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.
Please don’t take my sunshine away.’

The next day…the very next day.
the little girl was well enough to go home

Woman’s Day Magazine called it The Miracle of a Brother’s Song.
The medical staff just called it a miracle.
Karen called it a miracle of God’s love.

NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE.
LOVE IS SO INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.

Life is good.

Have a Wonderful Day! 

Bookmark this site and return as I will be posting more stories like this one for your enjoyment.

If you would like to read my other blog Adamantine Blog, just click on the link to go there.  If you would like to review my Internet Marketing suggestions, JimSuggests, then click on the link for a review.

I am happy to have you as a reader.

Jim Kelley