Archives for February 2012

A Winner Plus Remembering Young Love

February 12, 2012 by 8 Comments

We’re headed into Valentine’s week, and it’s time to announce the winner of the Cool Cash for a Hot Date Giveaway. The lucky winner of $25 cash and some lovey-dovey time with her hunk-a-hunk-of-burnin’ love is Mami2jcn (Mary)!!! Congrats, Mary! I’ve gotta tell you, I love playing Cupid! :)

I hate to leave the rest of you out of all the lovey dovey excitement so let’s have a little fun. Let’s think back—and for some of us it will be wa-a-a-y back :)—and remember our earliest loves. Young love has a way of staying imprinted on our hearts and minds so this shouldn’t be too hard, huh?

So tell me, what was the first gift your first sweetheart ever gave to you? Believe it or not, my first real sweetheart was Don—that’s right, my hubby. We started dating the end of my freshman year of college. Since my birthday is in August, the first gift he gave me was a birthday gift—a pretty teardrop necklace with a little diamond in it. As you can imagine, I was pretty proud of that necklace :)

Okay, your turn. I loved hearing all your stories during the giveaway about your best dates so I know I’m going to love hearing these, too. And by the way, enjoy your memories as you think back to your own young love! :)

Happy Valentine’s week everyone!

“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

*The current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, came out the first of the month. It’s still not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right!

*Flickr photo by Nicki Varkevisser

Filed Under: fun, giveaway, love, memories

Ring On!

February 8, 2012 by 5 Comments

“The Lord’s message rang out from you . . .” 1 Thessalonians 1:8 NIV

If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know that I want my writing—whether here or in other venues—to be a source of refreshment, encouragement, and nourishment for all who read it. I hope you’ve been blessed and have heard the Lord speak to your heart when you’ve dropped by.

But you know what? That works both ways. Many of you have blessed me at different times by telling me that my words have touched you in some way or that God has given you, through my writing, just the word you needed to hear on that particular day. I can’t tell you what an encouragement that is to me. Those are the kinds of things that keep a writer writing.

In fact, your words—whether through blog comments, your own blog posts, messages on Facebook, or words spoken face to face—have many times been just the words I needed to hear.

Sometimes it’s been a message of encouragement from the Lord to help me stay committed to the calling He’s given me, but many other times He’s spoken through you to give me strength, wisdom, or direction for any number of personal issues I’ve faced.

What it boils down to is this: You don’t have to be a writer or a teacher or a preacher for the Lord’s message to ring out from you. You can simply be you. All you need is a willingness to speak words of kindness, truth, inspiration, thanks, wisdom, comfort, or encouragement. So ring on, my friends, ring on!

“But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.” Job 16:5

*How have someone’s words been a message of God ringing out to you recently?

*The current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, came out last week. It’s still not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right!

*Be sure to enter the Cool Cash for a Hot Date Giveaway. Deadline is noon Sunday.

*Flickr photo by alykat, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: blessing, encouragement, giving, writing

Secret Pain

February 5, 2012 by 5 Comments

We’ve all done it. Innumerable times, in fact. We’ve masked our pain with a smile, forced a lilt to our voices, or answered a “how are you doing” with a fake “fine”. We suffer a private, secret pain that we’re unable or unwilling to share with anyone outside our closest circle of family or friends for any number of reasons.

Our hearts are breaking, but we have to carry on a life-as-usual façade to keep questions at bay and protect our own or someone else’s privacy. The time may come to share the struggle, but that time is not now. For now, we wipe our eyes and steel our hearts as we venture outside our homes and face the world beyond. We can only hope that we’re met with kindness instead of more difficulty.

Does it dawn on us that others may be doing the same? Especially during periods when heartache is not our companion, do we remember that someone we meet during the day may be struggling to keep her composure while walking on shaky emotional legs?

When we take a moment to remember that, a moment to look beyond the automatic smile for the public, we’ll want to be a little kinder in our interactions with one another. We’ll want to add an extra measure of warmth to our smiles or a soothing touch to our voices. We’ll want to make sure the people who cross our paths are met with kindness.

Let’s never forget the secret pains we’ve endured. Let’s remember and extend a loving touch—even if just for a moment—to those who may be in the midst of such heartache today.

And if you’re among those bearing a secret pain right now, know that God sees you. He cares. May this post be His loving touch to your hurting heart today. . .

“When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, ‘Don’t cry.’” Luke 7:13

*Has anyone unwittingly touched you with kindness during a time of secret pain? How did he or she do it?

*The current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, came out last week. It’s still not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right!

*Be sure to enter the Cool Cash for a Hot Date Giveaway. Deadline is noon Feb. 12.

*Flickr photo by seyed mostafa zamani

Filed Under: appearance, burden, comfort, grief, kindness

Holding Still

February 1, 2012 by 9 Comments

It was a God-given moment. I had decided to brave the cold and take care of an outdoor chore so Don wouldn’t have to do it at the end of a long workday. As I stepped out on our back porch steps, a surprise awaited me. A beautiful bird perched on our nearby evergreen.

I expected him to whoosh away as soon as he caught sight of me or heard the cat-like squall of the screen door. But he stayed, holding still, allowing me to marvel in his beauty from just a few feet away.

As he continued to linger, I thought wow, I wish I had my camera. Would he stay long enough for me to go back in the house and get it? Would he be there when I returned? Would he hold still just awhile longer?

I took a chance and slid back inside, as carefully as my noisy door would allow. After grabbing my always close-at-hand camera, I turned it on while still inside so there would be one less noise to startle my little outdoor visitor away.

In spite of another screech from the door, the bird remained perched in the same spot. I raised my camera, zoomed in, and took several shots while he continued to hold still. He looked this way and that, almost as if allowing me to work a little more magic with my camera. He eventually flitted away but not before I was thoroughly blessed by this unexpected God-given treat for the soul.

For a few brief moments, I was an artist capturing a subject—a subject who was willing to hold still and let me do my work. I can’t help but wonder if I do the same for God.

When God wants to do some more work on me or just spend time with me and rejoice over His creation (yes, He wants to rejoice over me!), am I a willing subject? Do I hold still for Him and cooperate with His plans? Do I allow Him to work His magic?

May the Lover of our souls always find us willing to hold still for Him!

“‘The LORD your God is with you . . . He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.’” Zephaniah 3:17

*Can any of you bird lovers tell me what kind of bird (pictured above) paid me a visit?

*The current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, came out today. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right!

*Be sure to enter the Cool Cash for a Hot Date Giveaway. Deadline noon Feb. 12.

Filed Under: blessing, creation/creative/creator, joy, nature, work
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