Marriage Questions and Quotations

(Diamond and Ruby Heart Pendant)

These Marriage Questions and Quotations should give us an idea on what makes a marrige successful.I am happy to share them for sunday citar at freshmommy.

I was working on my Ruby Pendants lens today when I learnt that Ruby was the gemstone for 40th wedding anniversary.This quotation collection should help all to celebrate 40 years of happy marriage.(I celebrate my 23rd wedding anniversary this month )

What makes a successful marriage?

A successful marriage is an edifice that must be rebuilt every day.
~ Andre Maurois

What makes a great marriage?

A great marriage is not when the 'perfect couple' comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences.
~Dave Meurer

What makes a good marriage?

A good marriage is one which allows for change and growth in the individuals and in the way they express their love.
~Pearl Buck

What makes a valuable marriage?

The more you invest in a marriage, the more valuable it becomes.
~Amy Grant

Marriage Questions and Quotations gives us an idea what must be the goal in marriage...

The goal in marriage is not to think alike, but to think together.
~Robert C. Dodds

Here are Some Books of interest to make your marriage a success


The marriage of your dreams is just twenty-one secrets away.

In today's mad-dash world, it's easy to lose perspective about what matters most, even when it comes to the most important people in our lives. Award-winning authors and psychologists Henry Cloud and John Townsend have teamed up to pack their best relationship principles into an easy-to-read twenty-one-secret program designed for today's busy people. Each secret reveals life-tested wisdom, biblical principles, and do-it-today action steps on key topics like building trust, cultivating healthy sexual intimacy, establishing realistic expectations, handling conflict, and much more.

Learn the Simple Secrets of a Great Marriage. from this book you can get at amazon for $10.19

Building a Love that Lasts: The Seven Surprising Secrets of Successful Marriage

In this best-selling book, America's #1 love and marriage experts Drs. Charles D. and Elizabeth A. Schmitz show what it takes to create and sustain a long-term loving marriage. Step-by-step they reveal their "Seven Surprising Secrets of Successful Marriage" that define a happy relationship—togetherness, truthfulness, respect and kindness, staying fit, joint finances, tactile communication, and surprise and unpredictability. Taking an upbeat, positive approach to living happily ever after, Building a Love That Lasts helps couples focus on what's right in their partnership rather than on what's wrong. The book includes many inspiring and beautiful stories of couples who've been together for at least 30 years.

Build a lasting relationship with these 7 secrets from the book Building a Love that Lasts: The Seven Surprising Secrets of Successful Marriage you can get at amazon for $11.53

Know The Benefits Of Meditating

Follow Your Bliss by semas87

Know The Benefits Of Meditating is my latest lens to complete the set of 4 lenses on the 28 day meditation challenge at awake is good.In this lens I have compiled the insightful answers by great meditation teachers who were the experts to guide us to understand meditation.

The questions are...

1.Is there a difference between prayer and meditation?

2.What are the Three Quick Tips to become Calm?

3.Why do you do metta-lovingkindness meditation?

4.Can anyone do walking meditation?

5.How will Meditation change your life?

You can read more about it here >>>Know The Benefits Of Meditating

You may be interested in the other 3 lenses about meditation.

In the first lens I shared the Beautiful Principles I learnt in the first week.

Day 1 -- Just commit to sit down

Day 2 -- We connect with our breath

Day 3 -- Create a new relationship with your thoughts

Day 4 -- Focus your mind

Day 5 -- I am enough.

Day 6 -- Discipline.

Day 7 -- Connect with the Sacred within you.

You can read more about it here >>>Meditation-Challenge-Day-1-to-Day-7

The second lens is also filled with wise words and inspirations

Day 8 -- Be gentle with yourself

Day 9 -- Practice without judgment

Day 10 -- All you have to do is do it

Day 11 -- clarity brings with it the power of choice

Day 12 -- Make peace with discomfort

Day 13 -- Live and breathe mindfulness

Day 14 -- Stillness can be yours

You can read more about it here >>>meditation-challenge-week-2

The third lens is about 7 different ways to do meditation.

1.The Pause Practice

2.Chakra Meditation

3.Tonglen Practice

4.Metta Meditation

5.Creativity as Meditation

6.Dance Your Way into Meditation

7.A Jewish Meditation Practice

You can read more about it here >>>7-Different-ways-to-do-your-Meditations

I Hope I have helped you get to Know The Benefits Of Meditating! through my squidoo lenses.Thank you Jan for for guiding us through a great experience.

Friendship Quotations

A beautiful friendship quotation to celebrate friendship

and share on sunday citar.

Some more friendship quotations...

"Friends are the sunshine of life."

~John Hay

"True friendship is like sound health;
the value of it is seldom known until it be lost."

~Charles Caleb Colton

"There is no hope of joy except in human relations."
~ Antoine de Sainte-Exupery

Where there are friends, there is wealth.
~ Titus Maccius Plautus

"Life is partly what we make it,

and partly what it is made by the friends whom we choose."
~ Tehyi Hsieh

Hope you enjoyed the friendship quotations.

Some Books of interest on friendship from amazon:

Friends to the End: The True Value of Friendship

Friends and life. Life and friends. The two are so tightly interwoven it's impossible to imagine one being remotely worthwhile without the other. As Bradley Trevor Greive points out, "there are very few truly solitary creatures on this planet. And most of them have serious personal hygiene issues." What makes friends so special? What does our choice of friends say about us? What sparks the best friendships and keeps them burning? In Friends To The End: The True Value of Friendship, BTG uses hit trademark witty narrative illustrated with irresistible animal photos to explore the daily magic we experience through our friends.

The Girls' Book of Friendship

This collection of inspiring quotes, real-life stories, whimsical poems, "friendly facts," and "pal projects" is a companion to the author's popular, award-winning Girls' Book of Wisdom: Empowering, Inspirational Quotes From Over 400 Fabulous Females. Geared for girls ages 10 and up, it features great advice about all aspects of friendship from famous actors, singers, businesswomen, and others -- women such as Mia Hamm, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Louisa May Alcott. Girls will come away with cool ideas for how to make friends, maintain connections, and celebrate all that friendship has to offer them. A staple for any teen girl's bookshelf.

3 word quote-NEVER GIVE UP !

NEVER GIVE UP conveys my six words in 3 words!

NEVER GIVE UP by semas87
Browse other 3 word quotes Cards

'It's not over until you win'

I had chosen these words for my 6WS entry at show my face and was planning to design a card for it.But,I just got a mail telling me the sale of my card with the 3 word quote 'NEVER GIVE UP'. As the message is the same I thought I'll share the card with all as the image for this post.

3 word quotes are wonderful words to motivate and inspire oneself.They act as tools of encouragement to stay optimistic, motivated and focused.You can see more inspiring 3 word quotes at my zazzle store,REFLECTIONS.

Another tip I got today in my mail and this is a 6 word too!

"Finding the Positive in the Negative"

When we find the positive and never give up we will win in the end!

Irish Blessing-Butterflies gifts

The Irish Blessing is a beautiful verse that fills you with joy and happiness.I did this poster a few days back and the blessing has come true for me.

AN IRISH BLESSING-Butterflies Poster by semas87
Browse other Butterflies Posters

Butterflies have brought me happiness .

I have had a sale of my 3 pink butterflies mug today.Last week it was the sale of the pink butterfly mousepad and pink butterfly bag at my zazzle store,REFLECTIONS.

Butterflies have blessed me in my butterflies gifts lens too with 3 referral sales.

In my butterflies gifts lensI have given 150 choices of cards,postcards,postage,mugs,magnets,t.shirts,mousepads,
aprons,keychains,photosculpure,stickers,binders and jewelry with beautiful butterflies on them.

Quality Mother of Pearl Jewelry to make you dazzle!

Quality Mother of Pearl Jewelry to make you dazzle is my latest squidoo lens.




Mother of pearl is a beautiful natural material which adds beauty to any material it is added as ornamentation.It has an iridescent glow that makes it special.So,they make you feel special and also will be a great addition to your jewelry collection.

Show your affection with a dainty heart-shaped pendant, made from pink mother-of-pearl encased in polished 14 karat yellow gold or a beautiful pear shaped pendant made in 10k white gold and enhanced with Pink Mother-of-Pearl and Diamond stones.

Contemporary butterflies flutter gracefully around your neck when you wear a Eve's Addiction Mother of Pearl and Smoky Pearl Butterfly Necklace.

Great memories are best kept with the Mother of Pearl 14k Yellow Gold Pink Hearts Locket.

Encircle your beloved's wrist with a flattering Sterling Silver 1/10 ct. Diamond with Turquoise and Oval Shaped Mother-of-Pearl Fashion Bangle designed in sterling silver featuring diamond, turquoise and mother-of-pearl.

A sophisticated look that is romantically inspired can be yours whenever you wear this enchanting Sterling Silver, Marcasite and Mother of Pearl Circle Station Vintage Bracelet

Absolutely adorable, the 14K Yellow Gold Mother-of-Pearl and Onyx are sure to be noticed. The dramatic combination of gleaming 14k yellow gold with mother-of-pearl and onyx gives an adorable look to these earrings.

Mother of Pearl Exotic Blossom Stackable Ring is an exotic beauty! Precious white Mother-of-Pearl is carved to a delicate flower shape.

You can see all these in the lens I have created with a dazzling collection of mother of pearl jewellery .

CLICK HERE TO ADMIRE AND BUY THEM NOW AT » Quality mother of pearl jewelry .

Self affirmation statement - I Magnify the best

My Self affirmation statement for this week is

" I Magnify the best and focus on the next".

The best-Self affirmation statement Magnet by semas87

When we change the way we see things our perspective changes and solutions are manifested.The first step is to magnify the best and not the worst. Don't dwell on your mistakes and put yourself down but learn from them and move on to focus on what to do next.Nothing changes if we get lost in self-pity.Instead count your blessings and focus on doing your best.Soon you will regain your confidence and success!

" I Magnify the best and focus on the next"

This Self affirmation statement is based on the Change the Way You See Everything through Asset-Based Thinking book's mantra, "Magnify the Best, Focus on the Next."

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, that perception is reality, and that a single strength can overcome a world of obstacles. These three powerful ideas converge in the breakthrough work, Change the Way You See Everything.

This brilliantly simple book on the philosophy known as Asset-Based Thinking, instills success-oriented habits in even the most die-hard cynic. Its transformational lessons--conveyed through unique photographic metaphors and inspiring stories from real people--reveal how the slightest shift in perception can lead to monumental results in both business and in life. ABT is not just positive thinking, but rather a systematic observation of "what works." Kathryn Cramer, an acclaimed corporate consultant, and Hank Wasiak, a creative icon of the advertising industry, have produced a work that looks and works like no other business or self-help book-because it IS like no other book. Change the Way You See Everything is a revolutionary approach to every aspect of life that bears not just reading, but re-reading, and sharing with people in your circle. You'll never look at the world the same way again.

Motivational Teacher Quotes

Motivational Teacher Quotes are great not only for teachers and educators but for each one of us as we are all the first teachers to our children.

I am happy to share a few Motivational teaching quotes with sunday citar friends.

climb to the top -motivating messages mousepad by semas87
Browse more Motivating Mousepads

I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that they are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.
~John Steinbeck

“Teaching is the greatest act of optimism”
~Colleen Wilcox

Be a wonderful role model because you will be the window through which many children will see their future
~Thomas Mckinnon

We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as candles to be lit.
~Robert H. Shaffer

The influence of each human being on others in this life is a kind of immortality.
~John Quincy Adams

Great Quotes for Great Educators is filled with Over 600 insightful, witty nuggets to motivate and inspire you..... and everyone else at your school.

Why is this book unique?
- includes over 100 original quotes from internationally acclaimed speaker and educator Todd Whitaker
- features real quotes from real students which echo wit and wisdom for educators
- each quote has a direct connection to your life as an educator




"Inspirational, motivating and stimulating" are some of the accolades communicated by the many that have previewed and purchased this book. Dedicated to teachers around the world, this book ,
I Am a Teacher, Motivational Quotes for Teachers: Motivational Quotes for Teachers,has many beautiful quotes about teaching and magnificent photographs.

The author,John F. Podojil , is a teacher and has a passion about teaching and you will be too after reading this new book. This book will strengthen and renew your enthusiam for the nobelest profession of all "Sharing your knowledge".

Defuse stress and experience greater calm

3 Word Quote-Just Do It-inspirational magnet by semas87

"Defuse stress and experience greater calm"

My 6 words for 6WS at show my face.

This is the 6 words of wisdom I learnt this week as I was creating my squidoo lens meditation challenge week-2.This is my 2nd lens on the 28 day meditation challenge conducted at awake is good by Janice Lynne Lundy.

These words are by Sharon Salzberg,one of the inspiring meditation teachers Jan introduced us to.

Why Meditate?

Meditation helps us on many levels, from simple relaxation to freedom from suffering and full liberation of heart and mind. It allows us to:

* defuse stress and experience greater calm
* explore the mind-body relationship
* connect to our feelings
* expand our sense of who we are, beyond our fears and self-judgment
* find genuine happiness
* discover inner resources that can change our everyday lives
* awaken our capacity for insight and wisdom
* transform our worldview from one of isolation and confusion to one of connection, clarity and compassion
* broaden our perspective and deepen our courage, based on seeing things just as they are

(Thanks to Sharon Salzberg, IMS co-founder and guiding teacher)

Insight Meditation: A Step-By-Step Course on How to Meditate is an exceptional tool for beginning meditation.

My Letterhead Design-Today's Best Design At Zazzle

Happy to share that Modern Dots and Grey Blue line Letterhead was chosen as one of Today's Best Designs At Zazzle!

Modern Dots and Grey Blue line Letterhead by semas87
Create your own professional letterhead on zazzle.com

It is always a pleasant surprise to get a TBA at Zazzle.You feel wonderful when your creativity is appreciated.
I am just starting to design exclusive letterheads at my zazzle store,Reflections.
Having a customized letterhead gives a personal look to your mails.Letterheads convey your personality.It is the tool to keep us connected.

Here is a book to help even the most reluctant writers among us discover how easy it is (and how wonderful it feels) to put the best of ourselves in lasting messages that get through to others with clarity and impact.

From Me to You: The Reluctant Writer's Guide to Powerful, Personal Messages is a book for anyone who wants to put love, advice, comfort and inspiration into written words. In FROM ME TO YOU, JacLynn Morris and Dr. Paul L. Fair outline the surprisingly simple steps you can take to create powerful, touching messages for the special people in your life.

Readers will find: 5 easy-to-follow steps to make messages that others will cherish; 2 techniques that make writing from the heart remarkably easy; and nearly 100 examples of powerful, personal letters written by men and women who applied the authors' message-making suggestions during joyful times (milestone events, renewed romance) -- in times of stress (illness, divorce, financial transitions) -- and even when they were feeling ambivalent about life's events (living with stepchildren, empty nesting, impending retirement).

Happy Writing!Hope you liked my letterhead design!

Live this Moment-Affirm mantra for this week

'Live this moment' is my affirm mantra for this week.

3 word quote-Live this moment -Motivating mousepad by semas87

Everyday is made up of moments that will never be repeated. When we live with awareness of this precious moment we will learn to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of our life.

Here is a book that shows us very beautifully how to Live this moment!

The book 1,001 Ways to Live in the Moment offers readers a rare gift: the chance to stop right here, right now and truly celebrate the present moment.

This uplifting volume is filled with enlightening activities, poignant observations, and affirming quotations that highlight the simple joys that surround us every moment of every day. Whether it's handwriting a letter to an old friend or taking the time to admire the first flowers of spring, this simple and motivating guide will help anyone discover, or rediscover, the countless reasons why a life worth living is a life worth enjoying.

Live this moment! Have a great day!

It's my choice!

3 word quote-It's my choice by semas87Magnets

It's my choice on how I look and react to events in my life.

This is the Quote that helps me to remember this and I am happy to share it with sunday citar friends.

I can change my mind,my attitude,my perspective.It's my choice.Change the way I look at things and the way things look will change.
~Wayne Dyer

In this inspirational work,Being In Balance: 9 Principles for Creating Habits to Match Your Desires,Wayne W. Dyer shows you how to restore balance in your life by offering nine principles for realigning your thoughts so that they correspond to your highest desires.

Imagine a balance scale with one end weighted down to the ground, and the other end—featuring the objects of your desires—sticking up precariously in the air. This scale is a measurement of your thoughts. To restore the same balance that characterizes everything in our universe, you have to take up the weighty thoughts so that they match up to your desires.

This book is dedicated to the idea that we’re a vital component of this creative process and have within ourselves the wherewithal to create all that we want if we recognize and revise out-of-balance thoughts.

The Path To Serenity

Motivating others by semas87

The path to serenity is shown to us by Lao-Tzu....

"Do your work,then step back,
The only path to serenity."

My six words of wisdom this week for Show My Face is from this quote...

'Do your work,then step back'

We often forget to do this and get overwhelmed without stepping out for a breather.This often leads to mistakes that could have been avoided.

As Marianna Williamson rightly says...

"how many times have we made a mistake that effected the rest of our life,simply because we made it,when we were moving too fast,at the effect of our stress,anger or fear".

Wishing all a great weekend,
sema

28 day meditation challenge

Buddha Motivating messages mousepad by semas87

I have joined the 28 day meditation challenge conducted by a dear friend , Spiritual guide and mentor Janice Lynne Lundy at her blog- Awake is Good.

Quoting Jan-"For in the new year, I really do want to get to know myself better, be happier, more peace-filled, and when I take time for meditation I am. I am also more calm, clear, and wise, and who doesn't want more of that?"

Jan is inviting meditation experts and teachers from a variety of traditions to share their knowledge in addition to posting educational and interesting information about meditation in all its many forms.

Please join the meditation journey at Jan's blog- Awake is Good to start the new year with joy and peace.

I have created a squidoo lens 28-Day Meditation Challenge!Day one to Day seven! to record the motivation,inspiration and resources all in one place for easy recollection .Please do visit and give your comments.
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I saw jamie's question after posting about the challenge and as my wish is in line with my challenge I updated the post with my wish.

How do you wish to shine?
This is Jamie's Question at to us wishcasting this week.

I am taking part in the meditation challenge at Awake is Good and it has helped me become more aware of our inner beauty and ways to improve our spirits.

This makes my wishcasting easy to create.

My wish for this week will be to radiate with love and compassion for myself and others.

Blessings for abundance,
sema

Colors-smiles of nature

Colors-smiles of nature is a beautiful reminder to look around us for beauty.

( digital abstract painting done in twisted brush)

I am happy to share a few beautiful quotes about color with my sunday citar friends.

Colors are the smiles of nature.
~Leigh Hunt

Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.
~Pablo Picasso

Of all God's gifts to the sighted man, color is holiest, the most divine, the most solemn.
~John Ruskin