As the father of two successful and ambitious daughters, successful women intrigue me. Here’s some history of female governors.
Mrs. Nellie Taylor Ross of Wyoming was the first women governor in the U.S. She was elected to fill the unexpired four-year term of her husband, William Ross. She took office on January 5, 1925.
A few days later, Miriam Wallace (Ma) Ferguson, also elected in 1924, became governor of Texas and, like Mrs. Ross served from 1925-27; she served again 1933-35.
Lurleen Burns Wallace, elected 1966, became the Alabama governor on January 16, 1967, succeeding her husband, George. She died of cancer on May 7, 1968.
Ella Tamburri Grasso, as the Democratic candidate in Connecticut, became the fourth woman governor in U.S. history. Her three predecessors, women governors of states, were also Democrats but, unlike Mrs. Grasso, had been preceded by their husbands.
– From “I Didn’t Know That” by Lavinia Donler, 1978
Filed under: God, love, music, nature, politics, spirituality, weather | Tags: America, Beauty, Thought
We sang this song in Church Sunday to celebrate Memorial Day. Is America still beautiful? How is it beautiful? What do you think?
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
Filed under: Friends, God, friendship, hello, love, mind, politics, spirituality | Tags: life, spirituality
I have been coming across several lists of tips to follow for a better life in 2009. They are numerous and all good. I couldn’t list them all so here’s my top ten in particular order. Despite the hard times we find ourselves in presently, these tips will make your life easier and better. So here’s once again to a Happy New Year as begin 2009.
(1) Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
(2) Live with the 3 E’s – Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
(3) Make time to practice meditation and prayer. They provide is with daily fuel for our busy lives.
(4) Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip or issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
(5) Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
(6) Remember God heals everything.
(7) Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.
(8)Avoid doing things you would be uncomfortable hearing about on a national new progeam.
(9) If you don’t know the answer, say so. Don’t try to fake it.
and finally,
(10) If you make a mistake, admit it.
Filed under: God, friendship, love, mind, music, politics, spirituality | Tags: afterlife, God, spirituality
The noted 16th century biblical scholar, Matthew Henry (author of the “Exposition of the Old and New Testaments”), wrote ‘It ought to be the business of every day to prepare for your final day.” According to Henry, our life on earth is a passage between birth and the eternal after life. How we live on earth determines our eternal after life with God. So Henry contends we should live each day as as if preparing to descend into Heaven.
What a wonderful thought. If we each lived our lives that way, would the world have less violence, less strife, less prejudice . . . more love, more peace, more calmness?
Is Henry’s view different from the old saying “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” I think so. That way of living suggests you should live as if you have a lot of time on earth . . .have fun, worry about your eternal life later. In Henry’s view your time here on earth, in your earthly body, is nothing more than a blink of the eye of your total existence. And your time on earth should be devoted to preparation for your eternal life. How do you live your days – as the last day or the first day?
Filed under: Friends, animals, politics | Tags: animals, birds, friendship, love
Is the Cardinal (aka the Redbird) our country’s favorite bird? According to the list of state birds, the Cardinal has been selected the state bird by seven states. These are the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. There are only two birds close in number of state birds. These are the Western Meadowlark chosen by six states and the Mockingbird selected by five states.
The Cardinal is a robust, seed eating bird with brilliant red color. The Catholic Cardinals, special advisors to the Pope, adopt their name from this Redbird and the color of their testaments are from the Cardinal’s red coat.
I am a devoted lover of Cardinals. The Cardinal is my friend. See my poetry blog http://jimandfriendspoerty.wordpress.com to feel that friendship. Certainly the Cardinal or the Redbird is my favorite bird.
How about yours?
Filed under: Friends, God, animals, books, cats, friendship, hello, mind, music, politics, spirituality | Tags: books, God, life, spirituality
I started reading Rick Warren’s bestseller “The Purpose Driven Life”. This is the second time for my reading this book; I had read it previously in 2005. The point of the book is you must have a to drive your life. Drive is defined as “to guide, to control, or to direct.” According to the author life without purpose is meaningless. And life driven by something other than purpose (i.e., guilt, resentment, anger, fear, materialism, need for approval) is a life in motion without meaning, activity without direction, and events without reason. Trivial, petty and pointless — life without purpose. I’m only to Chapter 3 of the book. (You read a chapter a day over a 40 day period. Do you know the significance of 40? A topic for another “Thought”.) But I am already thinking about my purpose. Given that I only read the book and became a subscriber to it’s philosophy a short three years ago, why do I need to think about my purpose? Why do I want/need to read the book again? Do I need to discover my purpose again? Renew it? Change it? Maybe I do; maybe I don’t. We’ll see as I progress over the next 37 chapters and days. Regardless, I do believe that purpose provides a purpose. Huh? That is clear to me. Does purpose drive you? Does purpose direct you? What do you think? More later from me as I progress through “The Purpose Driven Life.”
Filed under: Friends, God, animals, friendship, mind, politics | Tags: friendship, mind, spirituality
Do you view your life as the glass half full or half empty? I have always thought of myself as a half full type of guy. My life has it problems and problems that some days seem insurmountable, but I always try to stay positive and count my blessings. Recently, I was discussing this old adage with a good friend. This friend has one of best outlooks on life of anyone I know. So was I surprised when she told me she does not view her glass as half full. I asked how she could not. She told me I view my glass, my life as “my cup runneth over.” I thought about this and realized that even a half full cup still is half empty. My life is not half empty, but is full of joy, blessings and is just plain good. So I no longer think of my glass, my life as half full. Now my cup is running over. How blessed I am. How about you?
from Walking With the Savior:
. . . Do what is right this week, whatever it is, whatever comes down the path, whatever problems and dilemmas you face — just do what’s right. Maybe no one else is doing what’s right, but you do what’s right. You be honest. You take a stand. You be true. . . .
Right on. I try to live my life by this though it is hard and I admit I doesn’t always live up to this expectation–Do the right thing. With our declining morals, ethics and values, this standard is hard to live up to. But we must! We should and must demand this as an absolute from our children, our family, our friends, our leaders, etc.. Otherwise we are on path of destruction. Or maybe we are on that path. . . just look at our three presidential candidates. Look at the performers, musicians, actors we idolize. Look at our press and what they publicize as important. Look at our music, our movies. I hope it is not too late.
What do you think?
So the second Super Tuesday primaries are here–Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Vermont. Finally. While I value our freedom to choice our leaders, I really wonder the methods by which we do it. I heard this morning that two billion, that’s two billion dollars will be spent on this presidential election. I don’t know about you, but in may house that money could be better spent. And doesn’t this primary fiasco really result in the “best” candidates? I don’t know who the best are, but we seem to focus on the mundane and not real issues. Oh, the real issues get mentioned but we quickly turn to the mundane. And the lawyers (P.S. I am a lawyer)…wanting to challenge things like Michigan and Florida in court. Leave the selection to the people. Oh by the way, I was a political science major at Ohio State University and thoroughly enjoy politics. But even I am tired of all this and my mind tells me there must be a better way. But I don’t know what that is? Do you? What do you think? What’s on your mind Day 2?
