Brenden Foster died on Friday November 21st. This 11 year old boy lived a life of courage few of us can imagine. Brenden was diagnosed with Leukemia 3 years ago, yet he said “I am having a great time and until it is my time, I am going to keep having a great time.” What a wise courageous child.
Brenden’s dying wish was to feed the homeless. Being to weak to help, volunteers at Emerald City Light passed out sandwiches, people in L.A. held a food drive, school kids in Ohio collected cans to sell for food and people in Seattle participated. His wish came true. Brenden lived to see it and experience the joy he brought to so many. It gave him great peace. That is what I call Living in Courage.
Brenden (known as B Man) had another wish. He wanted to sprinkle wildflower seeds to save the bees. Before Brenden died, he said “He was amazed such a young boy could make such a difference.”
Packets of seeds were passed out at his funeral.
Brenden says “Follow your dreams and don’t let anything stop you.”
I think Brenden left us with so much to learn. His courage inspired so many. What will you leave behind when your journey ends. Did you love enough each day? Did you make a difference in someone’s life? Think of Brenden and live a life of courageous giving and gratitude.
My desire for knowledge is intermittent, but my desire to bathe my head in atmospheres unknown to my feet is perennial & constant. ~~~ Henry David Thoreau
This is a Fantastic video – do not miss it. This will change your day, maybe your life. I could not quit smiling. What an uplifting, inspirational film. Beautifully done. Written & directed by Kurt Kuenne. The actor TJ Thyne from my favorite show “Bones” is the male lead.
It can take courage to change old habits or patterns around the holiday. It is time for change in the world and we can do that by living by the courage of our convictions. This video will show you how.
We can make new courageous choices to share ourselves and all we have to offer to those less fortunate than ourselves. It does not take much for each person to contribute. The momentum builds quickly. We are looking at a fresh new world when we come together as one voice. The voice of freedom, peace and the greater good of humanity. Enjoy the video.
“Baby It’s Cold Outside” by Leon Redbone/Zooey Deschanel is a song I love. In preparation for winter and those who are in the snow, I dedicate this song to you. I can pretend I am back in the snow I love to play in.
Here I sit “imagining” a blazing fire, a hot cup of coffee, lounging on a comfy couch with Cody as I watch the snow come down. Work with me here! It is cold outside and I am inside the house warm in my cozy sweats and happy, happy, happy. Oh, I am even happier, my best girl Nicole McKinney has come to visit and brought chocolate chip cookies. Could life get any better?
This article posted by Steve Schippert caught my attention. Talk about Living In Courage! We sometimes take for granted the freedoms we have in America. This Afghan girl Shamsia at 17 carries so much determination, along with a powerful courage of conviction. Read on.
A teenage Afghan girl who had acid thrown in her face for attending school vows to go back to school, “even if they kill me.”
An Afghan teenager whose face was burned in an acid attack by suspected extremists vowed from her hospital bed on Saturday to continue going to school even if it put her life in danger.
Men on motorbikes used a water pistol to spray acid into the faces of Shamsia and around dozen other girls as they arrived at school, wearing burqas in the southern city of Kandahar on Wednesday.
Shamsia, 17, was the most badly injured and had some acid enter her eyes.
She was transferred to a military hospital in Kabul where she was visited on Saturday by other schoolgirls, accompanied by media.
“I will go to my school even if they kill me,” she told reporters. “My message for the enemies is that if they do this 100 times, I am still going to continue my studies.”It is not clear who carried out the attack which President Hamid Karzai and other officials blamed on the “enemies of Afghanistan” — a broad term that most often refers to Taliban insurgents.
Now, I want you to pause for a second and think about the raw courage on display here, and consider the challenges faced by others elsewhere as we commiserate our own in extreme relative comfort.
And also pause to reflect on the nature of the enemy we face, and come to grips with the concept that it will take an entire generation to win the wider war of ideas against this enemy.
This Afghan girl, by simply going to school, joins these people who are not afraid.
Yes, it will take at least a generation to win (defined as reducing the risk of radical Islamic terrorism to a nuisance rather than a mass murdering national security threat). But there is a foothold in Afghanistan, and an entire leg up in Iraq. We dare not shrink now and squander it.
Think about this Afghan girl this week when you are tempted to complain about the situation at home, whether politically, economically, or otherwise.
Faces of Courage
Posted by Steve Schippert
Published: November 16, 2008 – 10:08 PM
Here is a beautiful international version of “Stand By Me” from artists all over the world shown on Bill Moyers Journal – PBS. We all need to stand together, to stand by each other to make this world a better place for all. We are all one, all the time.
We need to build a global community to come together in peace. This amazing video closes the barrier between religion and race. It is about being compassionate and caring for our fellow men, women and children across the globe. It is about living from that place of courage deep inside of you. This is a time of change on the planet. Will you contribute to the greater good for all? You can be part of the solution or part of the problem. Choose wisely.
The Charter brings together the voices of people from all religions. It seeks to remind the world that while all faiths are not the same, they all share the core principle of compassion and the Golden Rule. The Charter will change the tenor of the conversation around religion. It will be a clarion call to the world. Join the world at www.charterforcompassion.org.
Here is a photo of me at Disneyland with Mom, but could not load it onto Wordpress with the other photo!! Gotta Love the Mini & Mickie’s Mouse homes in Tune Town.
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Endorsements
“Debra Oakland has clearly written Living in Courage from the heart. This is a book that guides people to summon the courage to face life's biggest challenges. You will find wonderful nuggets that you can apply to your life now.”
~ David Riklan, Founder of SelfGrowth.com,
the #1 Self Improvement Website on the Internet
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