At the beginning of each month, I post ideas for meaningful gifts to help us share joy and encouragement with other people. Guess what. This month, the gift idea is for Please nestle into a comfy chair and accept this package, beautifully wrapped and bearing a tag with your name on it. Take a deep breath first and lay aside your to-do list for a few minutes. Yes, this present is for you. Ready? Now pull off the ribbon. Lift the lid and move the tissue paper aside. Is that not the most beautiful gift you’ve seen in ages? What?…
Blog
It’s a Trust Issue
Recently, our sweet two-year-old granddaughter stayed with us for a couple of days. We read books, blew bubbles, and visited a playground. Knowing the independent nature of two-year olds, I allowed her to roam freely with few limitations. However, with safety and happiness as my goals, I offered help when she navigated steps or headed toward the street. When I intervened, this precious little one would extend her arm, put up her little hand and say in toddler English, “I fine.” That was my signal to back off and let her assert her independence. I allowed her to explore on…
Seeking and Finding
It’s okay for a grandmother to pray for her granddaughter to catch a butterfly, right? I hope so, because I did. Our budding scientist received a butterfly net as a birthday gift and she was trying hard to catch one of the insects while spending the afternoon with me. Efforts at her house had failed. She wanted so desperately to capture one and then release it. That’s why I prayed. I wanted her to be delighted by the fragile and beautiful creation she longed to study. This precious girl first swooped the net in the air as she chased the…
Encouraging Speech is Not “for the Birds”
Sometimes I say too much. My intentions are good, and I realize the listener doesn’t need to know all that I know—or think I know—about how to solve her problem. But, sometimes I say too much. Maybe God was teaching me a lesson when I saw a mockingbird who didn’t sing. The bird flew across my neighbor’s yard and perched on a bush. Blue jays, cardinals, and sparrows were filling the morning air with musical notes but not this mockingbird. She simply turned her head from side to side as if listening intently and then flew away. A few moments…
The Pink Hat—Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October 2018
I saw the pink hat with the breast cancer symbol first. A young woman and her husband sat on the hotel patio where I sought a quiet place to read. After saying hello, I sat in an unoccupied section and opened my book. An older lady soon joined us and selected a chair. She asked the younger woman, “Are you a survivor? I noticed your cap.” “No, but my grandmother died of breast cancer and I wear this cap to honor her,” the younger woman answered. The newcomer said, “My mom died of breast cancer and I’m a two-time survivor…