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        <item>
            <title>2010 Year of the Penny - Day 1!</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/1</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The Year of the Penny is not an international, national or even official observance.  It is a local observance observed by a local right here in North Attleboro, MA, me, your friendly TAZLocal.com administrator, Delores.

Today is New Year's Day 2010 and I wish you one shiny new year, one shiny new day at a time, one shiny new minute at a time!  

I like what I read today by someone I follow on Twitter, 
Roxanne Emmerich.  She posted this thought:

&quot;A new year! Why do we want resolutions when what we really need to do is recommit at every minute if we are serious about meaningful change?&quot;

That rings true to me as I ring in this new year.  So, the question is how serious am I about meaningful change and what is meaningful change?

Most people when they see a penny on the ground, don't see it as meaningful, but insignificant .  It simply isn't worth it...to pick up and save.  But, I have found the penny to be full of meaning and indeed, I look for them and when I see one I pick it up if I can, no matter how busy I am.  If I can't pick it up (because I might get hit by a car) then I hold it in my heart.  It helps me to slow down and reminds me to keep things simple, to focus on one thing at a time.  

The penny is one, like me.  That penny I can take or leave, but I am one person that I can't get away from, so that penny reminds me to accept myself as I am and to be my own best friend.  I need to pick myself up and save myself, to spend each minute using my energy wisely on things that matter most.  So, you see, pennies matter and so do you, my friend.

So, try not to get overwhelmed by all the change that needs to occur in your life or this world.  It's too much for one person to fix.  You're not God.  You are one who needs God.  At least I know that I do and so I have chosen to save myself based on what the Bible says, &quot;Call on the name of the Lord Jesus and you will be saved!&quot;  

God is waiting for your call.  (Tell Him I said Hi!)  

&quot;The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.&quot;
Psalm 145:18-19 ]]></description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:53:37 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>2010 Year of the Penny - Day 2!</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/2</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Have a happy now you!  I have to be firm with myself sometimes and tell myself to do what I would tell my friends to do.  Why?  Because that's what friends do.

Good friends are hard to find, but well worth it!  Have you found a good friend?   Are you a good friend to yourself?  Why or why not?  

Now is a good time to make friends with yourself because wherever you go there you are...with yourself!  You might as well go with your friend wherever you go!

Good friends will try to pick you up when you're down.  They'll try to save you from wasting your life.  They'll try to help you become the best you that you can be.  Why not make it easy on your good friends by being a good friend to yourself? When you do you are much more fun to be around, more positive, and a real inspiration.  You can make a difference just by being your own best friend.   

Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy.  We beat ourselves up, tear ourselves down and call ourselves names.  Why not forgive yourself?  Be gentle and kind.
Speak words that heal you, tell yourself that you forgive yourself, that you care about yourself, build yourself up and call yourself good names!

Yes, we say and do things we shouldn't, but we can do better!  When we go the wrong way, what do we do?  We turn around and go in the right direction!  That's what the word 'repent' means.  So, REPENT!

Instead of being quick to get angry, quick to speak or do something we'll regret, and slow to listen, TURN AROUND AND GO IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!

&quot;Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger.&quot;
~Bible

Forgive yourself.  When you've gotten yourself all wound up, UNWIND! Build yourself up!  Like a penny on the ground, pick yourself up and give yourself some strokes until you shine!  Tell yourself what you NEED to hear, the truth.  The truth is not that you're a loser or a failure.  The truth is that you are human and make mistakes, some worse than others, but none that can't be forgiven!  That's the truth!

It will set you free to be the shiny, new you that you deserve to be.   Be happy now!  You have a friend in me and I don't even know you!  All I need to know is that, like a penny, you are one in a million, just like me.

&quot;As a person thinks in their heart, so are they.&quot; Proverbs

]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:19:45 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>2010 Year of the Penny - Day 3!</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/3</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Did you know that to &quot;spend a penny&quot; in British idiom means to urinate and that P is the abbreviation for penny?

Yep.  Remember that when you GO to the store or shop online next time.  Whether you stand (in line) or sit (at your computer), make sure to spend your pennies wisely!  Otherwise, you might as well flush all that hard earned money down the toilet. 

For some tips on spending money wisely GO here:
http://www.wikihow.com/Spend-Money-Wisely 

]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:55:03 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>2010 Year of the Penny - Day 4!</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/4</link>
            <description><![CDATA[I'd like to introduce you to Copper Penny!  Yes, that's me with a big cop hat on and that's a big copper penny hanging on the front of it.  

As a children's church leader, I would teach the children about what it means to be one sent to represent the One sent to save, Jesus Christ.  When we receive Jesus into our heart and life we are no longer just one person, we are one with God, a J.C. Penny!  And like the J C Penney commercial we can say,  IT'S ALL INSIDE!  The King of kings and the Kingdom of Heaven are within!

Billy Graham said that &quot;one with God is a multitude.&quot;  

There's only so much one person can do, but with God NOTHING is impossible!  ]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:19:09 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>2010 Year of the Penny - Day 6!</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/6</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Praise is a small investment that pays huge dividends.  

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number one reason people leave their jobs is because they &quot;do not feel appreciated.&quot;  

In Dale Carnegie’s How To Win Friends And Influence People, one of the most important qualities he mentioned in getting along with people is honest and sincere appreciation.

It costs us so little to say thank you, to show appreciation for people who show they care for us in their words or deeds.  

It's the LEAST we can do!  It doesn't even cost a penny!

Apparently, alot of people don't have a 'thank you' to their name or if they do, don't realize how much it is needed and APPRECIATED when given.

So, next time you see a penny think about how much a little thing like a word of appreciation means.  How does it make you feel when someone values you and your contribution enough to let you know?  We never know how impoverished a person may be, how much they need to know someone notices them or cares.  The LEAST we can do is acknowledge one another with words of praise.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:10:34 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>2010 Year of the Penny - Day 7!</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/7</link>
            <description><![CDATA[When the Master touches a penny, it turns into gold!

A day late and a dollar short?  It would be nice if we did every day what we said we would do.  I wanted to write something in this blog daily.  That's why it's called The Daily Penny!  It was a small resolution, one that I committed to, one that I thought I could do...without fail, but...BUT NOTHING!  

I could give you my list of excuses, but that would just waste my time and yours.  The bottom line...I procrastinated and I MAY do it again.  I'm not even going to use the excuse that I'M ONLY HUMAN! I may be, but when we have God we're not JUST human.  We have God, &quot;a very present help in time of trouble,&quot; one who has promised to &quot;never leave you or forsake you!&quot;

I'm not God, just one with God Who alone knows how to stretch a penny, Who alone can touch a penny and turn it into gold!

I need help doing what needs to be done and DOING IT ALL WELL!  I can't do what God requires without His help!  And that's how He planned for it to be...God and me, God and you, working together, coming together as one to do the impossible!  

God knows that &quot;we are but dust&quot; that we need the Master's touch on all we do.  

Yes, I'm but dust, but I've been touched by the Master.  That's makes me valuable.  That makes me gold dust!

Won't you receive Jesus into your heart, to INvest Himself in you?  The Bible says that...

&quot;If any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new creation.  Old things have passed away.  ALL things have become new!&quot;
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:06:27 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>2010 Year of the Penny - Day 8!</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/8</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The &quot;seemingly insignificant&quot; things in life can turn out to be quite significant.  

Take the small choices we make from moment to moment, the food we choose to eat, the words we choose to speak, the thoughts we choose to think.  
I'm reminded of this quote:

Sow a thought, and you reap an act; 
Sow an act, and you reap a habit; 
Sow a habit, and you reap a character; 
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny. 

One seemingly insignificant thought, a single seed, has the potential in it to become a deed, an even bigger seed that has the potential of becoming a habit, good or bad.  

So much time and money is spent on breaking bad habits like overeating, smoking, drinking, or drugs. So much damage is done to health and relationships.

Our &quot;seemingly insignificant&quot; thoughts matter.  Therefore, we must choose to think on thoughts that will produce deeds that will grow into habits that will produce the best life possible.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:38:14 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>2010 Year of the Penny - Day 9!</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/9</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Here are ten little gestures, all of them easily within our grasp, that can spread goodwill in our own communities, as well as increase our own sense of mindfulness about the people around us and our relationship to them.

1. Tip generously:
As often as you can afford, leave a tip of 25%, 50%, 100%, or even more. (Obviously this applies mostly in countries where 15% tips are the norm.) Unless the service was simply awful – and even then, it might pay to consider what your server goes through – leaving as large a tip as you can afford not only puts a little extra extra money in your servers’ pocket, it tells them that they’re appreciated, a message that often slips our minds in our demanding, service-now society.

2.  Compliment someone: 
Tell someone how much you like the job they’re doing, their outfit or new haircut, their singing voice – whatever. Be honest and sincere. I like to practice “drive-by compliments”, sending an out-of-the-blue email to someone whose website, post, or comment on a post I really liked. Don’t expect anything in return, just let someone know that something they’re doing works and move on.

3.  Be totally open with someone: 
Let someone know exactly how you feel about something on your mind (though not something negative about them – there’s a different “protocol” for that sort of thing). We often keep too much to ourselves; letting someone into your confidence can be a great way to show your trust and appreciation of them. Of course, you have to judge what is and isn’t appropriate – it is possible to move past openness to dragging others into your problems, and that’s not making the world a better place.

4.  Give someone a book you’ve read: 
Making a gift of something you’ve read and enjoyed is more than just a nice gesture, it’s a way of showing someone that a) you think of them, b) you understand them, and c) you want to share something with them. The moment doesn’t end when they take the book – once they’ve read it, you can talk about your reactions together. Don’t do this with people around you who don’t read, though – you’ll build up an obligation that will be painful for them to discharge.

5.  Make something for someone: 
Bake an extra batch of cookies, draw a picture, decorate an extra Christmas ornament, and give it to someone for no good reason. Like giving someone a book, it tells them that you were thinking about them and wanted to do something nice for them, and that it’s something you made adds a nice touch. Give without expectations – whether they return the favor or not, whether they like it or not, whether they’re nice to you or not, these are all irrelevant.

6. Send a letter, email, tweet, or text message out of the blue: 
Email someone you haven’t spoken with for a while, or text someone you see every day just to be nice. Maybe they’ll respond, maybe not – it’s beside the point. They just need to know that they’re important to you.

7.  Commend an employee to their manager: 
It’s one thing to tip or compliment someone for their service, it’s another to contact their manager and tell them what a great job they’ve done. If you don’t have time at the time of service, note the employees name and call, email, or write a letter later.

8. Teach someone how to do something: Share your skill or talent with someone by showing them how to do something. Not so they won’t bother you with it, but so they can move a little bit towards improved mastery of the world around them. Have patience and respect for the person you’re helping – you’re giving them a gift, not compensating for some lack in their character.

9.  Let someone shine: 
Put a spotlight on someone else’s talents by letting them take over a presentation, deferring to their wisdom, asking them advice, or otherwise flex their “talent muscles”. Especially if they are junior to you, giving them a chance to strut their stuff shows that you trust them and appreciate them, as well as allowing them to get the attention they deserve (and which might often be obscured by your own shadow).

10.  Connect like minds: 
Introduce two friends or colleagues who you feel have something to gain from each other. You’ll be letting them know you value them – and maybe creating a partnership that will make everyone better off.

You’ve probably heard the saying “Practice random acts of kindness”, and that’s basically what I’m talking about here. Anything that shows people you care about them – something we can be mighty stingy about most of the time – has the potential to make the world, or your small corner of it, a better place.
 
Source: Lifehack.org

Do you have anything to add? What little gestures do you do, or have others done for you, that have brightened the world even just a little bit? Let us know in the comments.
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:24:34 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>2010 Year of the Penny - Day 10!</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/10</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The Value of a Penny!
This little penny article, written by Dianne Durante and Kirsten Hagmen, makes alot of cents!

The last few years have been the most challenging financial times in this country since the Great Depression struck in the 1930s. Plants are closing, established businesses are folding, weather is destroying crops, and morale is low. Society has been reminded of how fragile life is. Knowing now that things can change in an instant, “on a dime” as the old saying goes, why not focus on this dime, or a penny, to think about ways to focus on what is really important?  Let’s break down the penny and some things that it can remind us.

A Little Penny:
A penny is a small and seemingly insignificant coin in our currency, yet it reminds us that every little bit counts. There has been some recent debate about doing away with the penny, but what if we gave away a penny a day, or saved a penny a day, instead?  Often you will hear of a school that collects pennies to see what a million of something looks like, and how long it takes to save one million pennies. The school donates the money to a worthy cause.  What it really is teaching is the power of the penny, the power of patience, and the importance of saving even little things. These are certainly lessons that we all need in this age of instant gratification.  It is a reminder to get into the savings habit, saving small, maybe a dollar a day, 10 dollars a month.  Whatever you can, just start small and hang in there and you can reach your goals.

Little Things Mean A Lot: 
The penny offers a reminder in other areas besides financial, it reminds us that all little things can mount up and become valuable assets. A tiny compliment makes someone feel good, she passes it on and smiles to another person, and the good feeling ball is rolling.  It is easy to do little kindnesses, like opening a door for someone, letting a car in the traffic line, thanking the waitress for service, or calling the checkout person by name.  Research shows that these are emotional intelligence skills and they are the skills that can be taught and make a person more successful in the workplace and in relationships. These little things amount to BIG successes.

The Penny Has Two Sides: 
Certainly we have called ‘heads of tails’ more that once in life. The two sides of the coin can remind us that with every issue there can be at least two views, and probably more.  We often are so blinded by our own perspective that we fail to acknowledge there is another way to look at the same issue. At work and at home, we need pennies scattered around to act as reminders for us to listen to others points of view, or to shift our perspective and open our eyes to other possibilities. The value of hearing and seeing others viewpoint is that it increases success and cooperation.

See A Penny – Pick Is Up – All Day Long You’ll Have Good Luck: 
Years ago pennies were seen as good luck.  People really did stop and pick them up. Today we know that luck is more that stopping for pennies, but is actually thinking positively.  Successful people see themselves as lucky.  They live positive lives and try to be around other positive people.  The new psychology that has grown out of the past decade is known as positive psychology.  It acknowledges the importance of thinking positive thoughts. It shows that positive people are healthier and live happier lives.  Praise yourself and others for a job well done. Be optimistic.   See stumbling stones as building blocks. Stop worrying and start believing in the good that is awaiting you and you will be amazed at the way your life becomes “luckier.”

Abe Lincoln And The Penny:
The 16th president of the United States is on the penny.  He is remembered for many things, but the nickname Honest Abe is the one to focus on now.  Let the penny remind you of this important trait, another emotional intelligence trait, Honesty.  How different our lives would be if we could just remember that honesty is the best policy. Rotary International has something that they call the Four Way Test. They encourage that members ask themselves four questions before saying something that might be hurtful or harmful to others. “Is it the truth?” “Is it fair to all concerned?”  “Will it build goodwill and better friendships?” “Will it be beneficial to all concerned?” Being honest and telling the truth is important, as is the telling the truth in the right spirit. Become a good spirited truth teller.

A Penny For Your Thoughts: 
One thing in life that can help you to be successful is have good communication skills. Many people misunderstand and believe that communication is about being able to get your point across clearly but there is much more to it than that. Communication is about sending and receiving information accurately. To receive the information we must listen! Remember that you have 2 ears and 1 mouth and you should use them in that ratio.  Studies have revealed that communication is 56% body language, 36% tone &amp; only 8% actual words. Be cautious about how you are combining these elements when you are trying to communicate with others.

In God We Trust: 
T. Chardin said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience.”  Take a few minutes to evaluate or reevaluate your religious or spiritual beliefs. They are an important ingredient in life and sometimes we get so busy we forget to take time to notice what our core values are.   Often our values stem from a religious or spiritual center. Examine or explore this area of your life as well. 

Anna Quindlen, journalist, gave a commencement address at Harvard University. She said, “No one ever said on his deathbed, I wish I had spent more time at the office.” She urged the graduates to get a life, not just to make a living. It was a gentle reminder to the graduates about the valuable things in life. While work is a necessary part of life, we should use this opportunity to shift our focus back to satisfying our other needs and reconnecting with the people in our lives, colleagues and friends alike. Use the penny to help you with some of this reframing in your business and personal life. 

Read other articles and learn more about Dianne Durante, Ed.S. at her website:
http://www.diannedurante.com/]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:30:26 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>2010 Year of the Penny - Day 11!</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/11</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Oneness


by Jonathan Ellerby
Dr. Jonathan is a Hay House best-seller and the author of Return to the Sacred: Ancient Pathways to Spiritual Awakening

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

It sounds complicated at first, but it is simple and will change your life forever. It did for me.

Oneness is more than a concept. It's an experience and a way of living. In every culture throughout time there have been saints, mystics, sages, shamans and prophets who have come to the same conclusion: all things in this world are deeply interconnected and ultimately are only diverse expressions of the one original source energy. This was the essential experience and conviction of most of the worlds' religious founding leaders. They called the Oneness of life different things: God, Allah, Hashem, The Great Mystery and so on, but the idea of oneness is universal. Oneness means we are each united with all of life.

Oneness is not just a spiritual or religious idea. It is now a clear scientific principle. Einstein died trying to prove the unified field theory, a belief that all life and matter are united by an underlying energy or consciousness. The great quantum physicists David Bohm, Arthur Eddington, Max Planck and many others were convinced that at the very deepest (smallest) level of all things was energy. Deep within each cell, each molecule, each atom and nucleus, breathes an energy so subtle and yet so essential it could be called &quot;spirit.&quot;

The environmentalists and ecologists also are convinced of this oneness. The pollution in one part of the world impacts the climate, air and water in another. The chemicals the smallest animals eat from our waste and farming practices travel up the food chain until large doses of those chemicals appear in our daily diet. Changes in the habitat or population of any one creature send a ripple effect through the world. Oneness is the law of nature: what we do to others, we do to ourselves.

Imagine it like this: what if the force that preceded all life was like an ocean? In time ice formed and was floating on the surface. The ice is unlike the ocean. It floats on the ocean, and it doesn't even look like the ocean. But in time, the conditions change, and the ice melts back into the ocean. Was it every really different? Separate? 

Regardless of whether we believe in the Garden of Eden or the big bang, something came before it all, a vast, endless, infinite, eternal something. That same source-force is here right now. It gave rise to all things, and it is inside you, around you and will exist long after we are all gone, which means we are all related through this origin and oneness.

If you truly understood this, you would not need to be told to be kind you would not need to be told to recycle or forgive or love or respect yourself. You wouldn't worry about who wins you'd be sure that no one loses. You would love others as yourself, and you'd see the spark of the divine in all things. You'd know that every experience is a lesson, a chance to grow toward understanding ONENESS.
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:42:14 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>2010 Year of the Penny - Day 13!</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/12</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.  So said Robert Collier.

Here are 10 simple steps for creating rock-solid plans.
Simply copy and paste this link to read:
http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/10stpsplns]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:12:13 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>2010 Year of the Penny - Day 14!</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/13</link>
            <description><![CDATA[When you see a penny THINK LINCOLN!  YOU are a vital 'LINK IN' our community and this world, even if you are the LONE STRANGER!

I can picture you now, in my mind, a person with lots on YOUR mind, looking for something to believe in, to think about that's worth your while, something helpful and encouraging, that will give you hope and not waste your time.  Well here.  Put your arm in mine (in your mind) and picture me listening, really listening.  

You are a treasure as is everyone, but you, YOU'RE UNIQUE!  There is no one like you!  To be linked arm in arm (in my mind) with you is an honor.  No I don't know you.  You're a stranger to me and I to you.  But, it's been said that a stranger is just a friend that you haven't met yet.  Of course we must choose our friends wisely, but how many times have you been glad that someone, a complete stranger, &quot;linked up&quot; with you to help you, maybe to pull your car out of the ditch or meet a need in some small or big way?  

Aren't you grateful that someone gave a little of their time, energy and attention (t.e.a.) to you?  Wasn't it refreshing?  Didn't it make you feel good?  Didn't it leave a &quot;good taste&quot; in your mouth?  

YOU have something someone needs, a kind word or a cool drink of water.  Just a sip of your T.E.A. might be all someone needs to refresh them,  to encourage and strengthen them to go on, to take the next step, to be the best they can be!

Tell me.  How valuable and memorable is it when
someone truly shows, not just in a word, but a deed, how much they care?  Oh, the kindness of strangers.  I'm sure you can think of a few times someone you didn't even know gave a care or two for you and what you were struggling with?!  Think on those times and smile.  It's those &quot;LONE STRANGERS&quot; that maybe saved the day or at least made it much better!   

Why not link your arm with mine and become a member of &quot;THE LONE STRANGER CLUB&quot; if you're not already. If you are or want to do more then let me know (in the comment section below).  That way I'll know that my words aren't for nothing, that someone heard.  I could use some encouragement, a sip of your t.e.a.  Thanks! 

And the next time you see a lone penny on the ground, let it be a reminder to you to think of someone who needs a pick-me-up, a kind word, a listening ear, or a lift!  Give that person a sip of your T.E.A. and know that you have made a positive difference in someone's life, a difference that will be remembered long after your name is forgotten.  They'll say, &quot;Who was that man, that woman?&quot;  That was the Lone Stranger!  

Hi oh Silver!  Away!
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:47:51 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>2010 Year of the Penny - Day 15!</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/14</link>
            <description><![CDATA[You've got one life.  Make it a good one!

&quot;Honor your heart in February. Heart health starts with good nutrition, exercise, laughter and appreciation. Do at least 1 thing each day.&quot;
Dream Dinners of Plainville 

All we can take is one step at a time, one breath at a time, one day at a time.  So take it easy.  Take GOOD care of yourself, your heart, your body, your spirit.  Don't beat yourself up for not doing everything perfect!  Let your heart do the beating.  LOVE is a choice.  Don't wait till you feel like it.  Choose to love and the feelings will follow.  Choose to eat to live instead of live to eat!  Choose to be active instead of passive!  Choose to smile and laugh even when there's nothing to smile or laugh about!  Choose to think positive instead of negative!  Choose to FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT!  Consider the alternative!  You can either be overcome with evil or overcome evil with good.  Take these steps...one at a time and you will MAKE your life a good one!
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:47:46 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Play on the one string you have.</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/15</link>
            <description><![CDATA[&quot;Attitude is everything. You simply cannot be beaten if, at the end of the day, some tiny part of you can still whisper, &quot;I will try again tomorrow.&quot; 
unknown

Attitude
by Charles Swindoll 

    The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
    Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.
    It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.
    It will make or break a company...a church...a home.
    The remarkable thing is, we have a choice every day, regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.
    We cannot change the inevitable.
    The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.
    I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
    And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes.
_______________________________________________

Give each letter of the alphabet a number. A=1, B=2, etc.  If you add up the letters in the word ATTITUDE this is the result:
A= 1
T=20
T=20
I=  9
T=20
U=21
D= 4
E= 5
_____

Attitude is 
100%

Attitude is indeed EVERYTHING!


I found this on ButlerWebs.com]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sat, 06 Feb 2010 01:42:48 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>A small pot boils the quickest.</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/17</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Keep your cool.  Keep a good attitude.  If you're going to boil over with something, let it be Love and let it cause others to taste and see that God is good.


Here is a word from Joel that I wanted to share with everyone.  What's cooking in YOUR pot?  Hope it's doesn't burn your tongue!  Be sure to taste it before you serve it! Would you like to eat your words? :)

Today’s Word from Joel Osteen:

I think it’s interesting that the apostle Paul never prayed for every challenge to go away. He prayed that God would give him the strength to go through them with a good attitude. He sought emotional maturity.

Our level of emotional maturity can be seen by how much it takes to get us upset. You’ve heard the saying, “A small pot boils the quickest.” That means if we don’t keep our emotions in check, we’ll always be stressed out and make mountains out of molehills. If we lose our cool because our child forgot his homework, or we’re aggravated because somebody didn’t do something we wanted them to, then we’re not passing the test. We’ve got to grow and mature to the point where we can say what the apostle Paul said, “None of these things move me.” What’s amazing is that Paul knew there were challenges, obstacles and heartache in his future. Yet he said in effect, “It’s no big deal. I’m not worried about it. I trust God. I have a destiny to fulfill.”

Today, choose to see things from God’s perspective so you can keep your emotions in check. Don’t be moved by your circumstances; instead, trust God because He is faithful. He’s working behind the scenes, and He will fulfill His promises to you!

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, thank You for doing a work in my life. Thank You for molding me and shaping me into Your image. I ask for Your supernatural joy and strength to stand strong no matter what I face. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Today’s Verse: “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself,so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24, NKJV).
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:17:09 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Little Lies, Big Surprise!</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/18</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Hi friends.  Many of you know that I'm a fan of pennies and I love using pennies to teach children (and grownups who haven't grown up yet :)  Ever since I was a little one myself I would pick pennies up and save them to buy penny candy back when it really was a penny!  I even tried my hand (as a 5 year old) at &quot;counterfeiting&quot;.

I wanted a container of water colors and a paintbrush that cost 60 cents, but no one would buy it for me so I went home and traced 60 paper pennies on a paper bag and cut them out with my safety scissors.  I did my best to copy Abraham Lincoln's picture and all the details, front and back, on each and every one.  Then I stacked up my phony pennies and set off to that little country store in Hartland, Maine to buy me a rainbow!  I was sure it would work! 

Well, I didn't even get a smile, let alone a rainbow, from that mean, old store owner!  He was not impressed with my &quot;non-cents&quot; and flatout refused my offer!   
I was so disappointed!  But, I am so grateful now.  That was one wise man.  He could see that there would be no rainbows in my future if he rewarded me for a seemingly small and insignificant and cute little &quot;penny lie&quot;.  

Another name for an honest person is a truepenny.  Thanks to that man and the fact that he didn't put up with my non-cents, I gave up my life of &quot;crime&quot; and didn't move on up to counterfeiting nickels and dimes!  Like they say, &quot;Don't despise small beginnings.&quot;  Good or bad, the choices we make, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant, can grow bigger and better or bigger and badder!  Little things really DO matter. ]]></description>
            <pubDate>Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:41:20 +0100</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>&amp;quot;Look for the treasure in every trial.&amp;quot; ~Joyce Meyer</title>
            <link>http://www.theattleborozone.com/pages/Blog/op/extended/article/19</link>
            <description><![CDATA[One day I saw a hawk sitting in a tree in my back yard.  It was as if God put it there to speak to me personally.  I watched this hawk &quot;like a hawk&quot; and learned and considered what the meaning of a hawk is.  They are birds of prey and have a keen eye.  They hunt for little things like mice in a field and when they see one they swoop down swiftly and snatch them up.  

I thought of how it was like that with me.  Maybe like my dad, I'm a hunter, after all.  Only I don't hunt for deer, I hunt for what IS dear to God's Heart!  I'm a &quot;dear&quot; hunter for God and I love bringing Him my little finds, treasures that He takes pleasure in hiding for me to seek out and find!  And one thing I have found to be TRUE is that there really IS a treasure in every trial!

All you need to do is choose to see things from a heavenly perspective through God's eyes.  

I've come to learn that Father God truly cares for every little thing that we care about and He wants us to cast every care, big and small, on Him!  Like a fisherman casts his fishing line out into the deep we can cast our cares on God!  What will we reel in when we do?  Peace, sweet peace!  The Peace of God!  When we give God our cares, He gives us His Peace and things don't look so bad when you have God's peace for your very own.

Once you have God's peace ask Him to teach you everything He wants you to learn through your trial, to show you the treasures in your trial.  God knows how to teach us and can reach us wherever we are, whether in a prison cell or whatever &quot;living hell&quot; we may find ourselves in.  The Lord is there, your Greatest and Best Friend, the One Who holds the key to your Freedom even in the midst of a place you would rather not be in.

I can remember being in my apartment, wishing for a house, depressed and feeling like I was in prison after suffering great loss.  I thought I'd never get out of that dark and lonely place!  That was all I could see!  But, I remembered what I'd been taught...to cast ALL my care on the Lord because He cared for me!  I either believed it or not!  I chose to BELIEVE and I took all my cares, one by one, and gave them to God with all my tears and fears and doubts and anger and He took them and gave me His Peace!  Then I got this picture in my mind of God's hand around my apartment and the bars were His fingers!!!  The bars were friendly and not fearful or cold.  They became warm and embraceable!  In my mind I ran to one of the &quot;bars&quot; and embraced God's finger!  I felt safe and loved and knew that I knew that God was with me and that He understood the hell I was going through and was letting me know there was a Heaven and He lived in it and in His Presence I could experience His Heaven in the here and now no matter where I found myself.

I hope you choose to believe, too!  God is alive and He loves you so much!  You are dear to Him. He knows where you are and He holds the keys to your freedom!  Look up dear!  God is near to the broken hearted!  

&quot;Draw close to God and He will draw close to you.&quot;
~the Holy Bible]]></description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:17:45 +0100</pubDate>
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