Each month I write one post about meaningful gifts. For the January post, the recipient is YOU! After an intro and some questions, you’ll find five beautifully-wrapped “gifts” with your name attached. These gifts will enable you to care for yourself so that you can care for others as God designs. Scene One First, imagine yourself on a 747. The flight attendant advises passengers to secure their own oxygen mask before assisting others should a need arise. Why? Because if you’re struggling to breathe, you might not be competent to help fellow passengers. Scene Two While we’re “in the air,”…
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Encouragement in Line
Lisa Kibler, dear friend and award-winning author, is sharing today’s post. You’ll find her writing entertaining, energizing, and inspirational. Please read her bio below and check out her amazing site. In addition to her experiences with widowhood, she shares exciting lessons from her life’s journey at https://www.lisakibler.com Here’s Lisa’s post . . . A while ago, a friend posted this graphic about introverts on Facebook: I laughed and pointed at all of the truths about me and I thought, Wow! It’s not just me. I have company. And I laughed again. See “solo activities?” That key component makes me a…
Why New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work
Like most people, I made New Year’s resolutions for decades. Some of them lasted until April, and some of them . . . well, would you believe some ended January 2? Even with good intentions, the resolutions or promises we make to ourselves often disappear like wind-blown dandelion seeds. Do these resolutions sound familiar? Stop eating sugar. Exercise daily. Complete home projects. Volunteer to help others. Memorize Bible verses. All worthy objectives, right? Sure. There’s not a bad intention on the list. Then why don’t we achieve them? I can only speak for myself. 3 Reasons Why I Failed at…
Christmas Cleaning
Clean and Christmas just go together, don’t they? We clean so that we can decorate, and then we clean and remove containers after decorating. We clean before cooking delicious meals and baking, and then we wash the pots and pans until our fingertips turn into “raisins.” We clean before company comes and then vacuum and straighten the house when they leave., So much cleaning! Our homes should be diamond-sparkly this time of year. (Remember the old Mr. Clean commercials?) Although our homes where people and pets live are rarely, if ever, spotless, we do like tidiness at holiday time. Before…
Snapshots of Christmas
These snapshot recollections of Christmas helped shape my faith and my life. I hope they spark memories of yours. Chocolate Covered Cherries and a $100 Bill Each Christmas, my granddaddy gave my grandmother a box of this candy with a $100 bill on top. One year after opening presents, they realized the money was missing. After a thorough search, they concluded the crisp green bill had been crumpled with the wrapping paper and tossed into the fireplace. Although my grandmother was unhappy about losing her monetary gift, she looked past that to enjoy her family. That memory reminds me how…