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When you train your dog with leadership and love, he looks at you with dog eyes of trust and love back.

The other day when I was on Twitter a quote I saw from sales guru hit me: You become what you think about all day long. It made me ponder on what I think about every day, which lead me to realize how much my thinking, and lifestyle, has changed over the years. I used to be more selfish, helping and serving others with the end motive of serving my own needs and ego, and praying for my own needs -- talking to God more than listening. St. Francis says [that] it is through giving that we receive, and I took it literal. Today, when I give of myself I do not look for what I receive, because the real gift is how God is blessing others through me .. which I may never see. My agenda has become Gods agenda. Said another way, I live my life as a prayer. If we focus our attention on bad news and gossip, and distractions, we will miss God's incredible, visionary, optimistic purpose for every believer: to grow so much in our faith that we shine like beacons to everyone around us! God's vision for each church is that we would grow so much in our love for God that we'd love people the way He loves them: unconditionally and passionately. He want's us to be filled up with Christ's grace, truth, and purpose so that everything we do will reflect Him to those around us. I assure you, the longer you look at Jesus on that Cross, the more He will speak to you about who you are and how you can become more Holy. The greatest image I have of my late father is how he prayed the rosary, looking at the Cross, each morning in a room with only the window light , just him and God, before leaving for work. The greatest image my children say they have of me is how I kiss the crucifix each morning as soon as I wake up. What they do not see is how often I spend just gazing at it in holy contemplation. "If a hypocrite is standing between you and God, it just means the hypocrite is closer to God than you are." -- Zig Ziglar

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A small tree with confidence transforms color in front of a larger tree yet to do so. Note: This photograph has a painterly effect added to it. www.ipernity.frankjcasella.com

Easter Prayer: O God, who on this day, through your Only Begotten Son, have conquered death and unlocked for us the path to eternity, grant, we pray, that we who keep the solemnity of the Lord's Resurrection may, through the renewal brought by your Spirit, rise up in the light of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. www.ipernity.frankjcasella.com

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A Fall leaf in the grass that illustrates the perfection of what God has created, to enjoy this beauty while on earth, in addition to His creating our lives. Although the leaf has flaws and scars, it still brings much beauty into the world for the short time of one season, just as our lives our short lived. www.frankjcasella.ipernity.com

One or Another - A stand-alone tree with Autumn leaves by a fence in the wooded preserve - Color Photograph Copyright 2013 Frank J Casella I’ve always been attracted by trees. The light and shadow play on the branches. The colors from the Fall Season. But deeper, the formations from their environment and the other trees around them .. Or not. Trees, very much like our lives, all have a life of their own. Each one is different in their own way, though they may be the same kind: Birch, Cedar, Oak. Some tree branches it seems are attracted towards the Light, while others it seems move one direction because of a branch or another tree forces them from another direction. There are many directions that we can go in life .. One or Another ... The choice is ours. "A good choice today will lead to a better tomorrow ... We have the power to choose ... Use ti wisely." -- Zig Ziglar "The stumbling block to the pessimist, is a stepping stone to the optimist." -- Eleanor Roosevelt. www.frankjcasella.ipernity.com

The morning sun peeks through the trees behind a fence. www.frankjcasella.ipernity.com