Archive for encouragement – Page 2

Ears for Isaac (and a conversation in my kitchen, part 1)

By Genny · Comments (1)
Monday, March 4th, 2013

When I first watched the introduction video for Ears for Issac about my friend Aaron’s son, it was like time stopped.

My heart was broken all over again for what he and his wife Teresa have gone through, and I immediately wanted to help share their story.

But rather than simply posting the video here,

Aaron had an idea,

and his friend Jason helped,

and they spent a morning in my kitchen, filming more to share with all of you.

So for the next few weeks on Mom-Mondays, I’ll be posting parts of the video from that morning, along with Ears for Isaac here.

I know you’ll be touched by Aaron and Teresa’s story–by their courage, their questions, and their heartache. They didn’t set out to be an “inspiring and courageous family,” but, believe me…

they are.

And it’s my hope that in their story, you will find comfort and strength of your own.

Please take a minute to watch the Ears for Isaac introduction video below, which includes my conversation with Aaron’s friend Jason afterwards about the reason for the film they are making and the explanation behind its name. Please share the video too. I believe with all my heart that other families will be comforted by their story as they move forward with this.

After a difficult time of feeling like they were alone and that there were no answers out there, Aaron and Teresa want others who might be going through something similar to know that they aren’t alone and that, even when there are no answers, there are others who understand…

I look forward to sharing more next Monday. (You just might have to excuse my tears; I was so moved by what Aaron shared… and I know you will be too.)

More about Ears for Isaac, from Aaron:

1. Ears for Isaac is a documentary film currently in pre-production and set to begin filing at the end of March 2013. It is intended to bring hope and encouragement to any family who has lost a child or is preparing to do so through hospice. Our desire is to acknowledge that God offered peace and joy in the middle of tragedy and to honor our son as a part of our family. Our hope is to encourage other families facing tragedy by sharing Isaac’s story and offering them a small token once a year to remind them they are not alone.

2. While Ears for Isaac is a film, it also serves as an announcement that through the EarsForIsaac.com website families who have lost a child under the age of two due to genetic or non-genetic birth defects can share their story and receive a letter of encouragement from Teresa and I once a year. This will be launching after the film is done.

3.We need support in order to make this movie and launch the website. Support can come financially or by just spreading the word to a family in need.

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Thanks for stopping by for Mom-Monday – a day for mom-stories, tips, articles and inspiration!

To join in, all you have to do is add your URL to the link list below and put my button anywhere on your site. It’s as simple as that; no post necessary. Just an easy way for moms to connect with other moms!

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Categories : encouragement, faith, inspiration, Mom-Mondays

Checking in with a quick note…

By Genny · Comments (2)
Monday, February 4th, 2013

Hi everyone,

I’m just popping in to let you know I’ll be away from here for a little while.  (I have a few writing deadlines to meet, it’s  my son’s birthday this week, and Mike and I are celebrating Valentine’s Day early with a weekend together, minus kids!)

I’ll be back in a couple of weeks and I’ll look forward to seeing you then. :)

If you are new around here and want to do some more reading, here are some favorite brews. Enjoy!

Maybe the most important thing that I will ever write

Little Bits and Pieces of Happiness…

Some days, parenting is… hard

This beautiful end of summer with my little girl

The mom and her daughter in the dressing room…

When moms judge

A note about pick eaters

And I held on tight…

The Moment I Almost Missed

The Not-So-Mini Disaster

And Then You Realize They are Pedaling on Their Own…

Creating Quality Time by Ignoring the Clock

Five Reasons Why Whiteboards are the Greatest Parenting Tool Ever

It’s How You Say Hello

To my son…

There’s a Moose in our House

A Man Named Ted

A Cricket or Two. Or Thirty.

Sometimes Trying is Winning

Moments That Stay

A Teacher Is

A Love that Shows

We Make Millions!

Considering a Mouse for a Pet?

Room Service, Anyone?

Comments (2)
Categories : encouragement, inspiration

Over at 5MinutesforFaith today: You’re beautiful

By Genny · Comments (0)
Thursday, January 31st, 2013

I was walking into the locker room at the gym the other day when a woman passed me, smiled, and said out of the blue,

“You’re pretty.”

I did sort of a double take, thinking she was talking to someone behind me, but there was nobody there.

By the time I realized she was talking to me, she’d turned the corner and disappeared.

There I was, in all my post-workout glory–sweaty, messy pony tail,

very less than pretty–

and yet,

that’s exactly what she said I was.

Those words from a total stranger made me smile (especially because I felt so un-pretty at the moment she said them).

But you know what, friends?

READ MORE over at 5MinutesforFaith today! I hope to see you there!

 

*post previously published at MyCup2Yours.

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Categories : encouragement, faith, inspiration

Why you shouldn’t judge the mom in front of you at the checkout line…

By Genny · Comments (10)
Monday, January 28th, 2013

You stand in line at the grocery store holding your baby as you dig in your purse for your wallet with one hand. He just got over a fever and this is the first time you’ve been out of the house in three days.

Your two-year-old sits in the cart, squirming to get out, crying. He’s been even more restless than you these last few days, but the trip to the store didn’t end up being the breath of fresh air you’d hoped for.

Your five-year-old stands next to you, one hand on the cart like you’ve taught her. You see the worry on her face as she watches her little brother cry. He throws a graham cracker on the ground and she quickly picks it up and gives it back to him.

“Please don’t give that to him; it’s dirty,” you say, still digging for your wallet.

She grabs it out of his hands before he eats it.

He screams.

The baby whimpers against your chest.

Your wallet has disappeared in the depths of your purse, amidst the hand sanitizer, baby wipes, and sunscreen (which is still in there even though it’s January).

“It’s in here somewhere,” you promise the clerk, feeling embarrassed.

You feel the people in line behind you getting impatient.

Your toddler’s cries get louder.

“Can you get him a new cracker?” you ask your daughter. She digs in the diaper bag and hands him a new cracker. He throws that one on the ground too.

The mom behind you makes a face of disapproval. Her two kids–about 4 and 6–stand next to their cart quietly. “That boy’s mad,” says her littlest one. She nods.

You find your wallet and pay, as fast as you can. You feel yourself starting to sweat.

“Can I get some gum?” your daughter asks as the groceries are getting bagged, tapping your side. She grabs a pack of gum off the shelf.

“No,” you say, pointing for her to put it back. “I already paid.”

Your baby’s whimper gets louder and he moves his little head from side to side. You wonder if the fever is returning. Maybe you shouldn’t have brought him out of the house so soon.

“But I want gum,” your daughter argues. She’s been so patient these last couple of days as all of your attention has been focused on the baby, and now it’s her turn to act up.

“No, honey. Let’s go,” you say, motioning her to follow as you push the cart forward.

She stands there, not moving.

The other mom stares at you. You smile at her, and she does a curt smile back. You feel guilty for making her wait in line so long.

“Let’s go, ” you say to your daughter again, this time firmer. “We need to get your brothers home.”

“I don’t want to go home,” she says, whining. You pull her hand, coaxing her out as she continues to argue and as your two-year-old’s–and now your baby’s–cries escalate.

And in spite of the noise, you hear the mom that was behind you say, “Well that was challenging,” to the clerk.

And you feel like a total failure.

Somehow, you manage to get out of the store without crying, but the minute you get all the kids buckled in, you put your sunglasses on and the tears fall.

Why does being a mom feel so hard sometimes?… 

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If you’re a mom, you’ve been there at one point or another–in the checkout line with kids crying or saying no, or even refusing to listen to you. Right?

And you also know that motherhood is hard enough without the judging stares or comments from others,

or the finger pointing that can make us feel like we’re failing.

(Because there’s nothing worse as a mom than feeling like we’re failing.)

So the next time we see a mom struggling, 

instead of judging…

let’s help her,

or smile at her,

or pray for her,

or encourage her.

And if we all did that, just think how much easier being a mom would become. :)

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Thanks for stopping by for Mom-Monday – a day for mom-stories, tips, articles and inspiration!

To join in, all you have to do is add your URL to the link list below and put my button anywhere on your site. It’s as simple as that; no post necessary. Just an easy way for moms to connect with other moms!

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Categories : encouragement, inspiration, Mom-Mondays, parenting

Who is your Sherpa?

By Genny · Comments (9)
Monday, January 21st, 2013

Dreaming God-sized dreams is an amazing (and sometimes scary) journey, and it’s even more incredible when you get to that place where you realize it’s not all up to you, and you can’t do it alone.

I’ve loved being part of Holley Gerth’s God-sized Dreams Team, and I love how this week she encouraged everyone to find someone to hold them accountable and support them along the way. I think the idea of a “God-sized Dream buddy” is great and I’m excited to have Sonya at SonyaMacDesigns on the team be mine. (I can already tell how inspirational she is!)

Over the years, I’ve definitely learned the importance of having others behind you as you head out into the unknown, with your hopes high and the path unclear. So today, as part of Holley’s Dream link-up, I thought I’d share a post I put up a couple years ago about friends who have made a huge difference for me along the way…

Who is your Sherpa?

I recently opened a journal my friend Lisa gave me and read what she’d written on the inside cover…

It made me smile.

I remembered when she’d given it to me, a few years ago, after I’d already received a fair share of rejection letters and before I’d gotten any book contracts.

And I thought about all the support I’ve gotten with my writing over the years—support like her note, the encouragement of friends and family, friendships with other writers, and small wins along the way like my manuscripts receiving awards.

They’ve made all the difference; it’s been an awesome journey.

Because the truth is, when I first started writing, I naively thought it would be easy–that all those best-sellers found their success overnight.

That was before I came to understand, more often than not, behind every success story is a journey of  patience and perseverance. A journey where the support and encouragement of others really helped.

I love the card my mother-in-law gave me several years ago (that is still on my desk). After the words You can do it! Hang in there! is this quote:

Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. Press on!                  

-Calvin Coolidge

Press on…

I love that.

Literary Agent Sandra Bishop wrote a great post a while back titled Not Going it Alone that talked about how writing can sometimes be like climbing Mt. Everest. And, similar to a climber having a Sherpa to help him or her get to the top of the mountain, it’s a good idea for a person who dreams of writing to have a Sherpa too.

Someone to…

help guide you along the sometimes steep and narrow path,

cheer you on if you get discouraged or start to doubt yourself,

help you stay focused on your goals,

or push you harder when you think about giving up.

And I think that’s true for any situation in life, whether you’re…

pursuing writing or another goal,

battling health issues,

working through relationship or financial difficulties,

struggling as a parent…

the list could go on and on.

We all need someone to come alongside us from time to time and say,

“You can do it.”  :)

What about you? What climb are you on? And who is your Sherpa? Leave a comment here, and head over to Holley’s to link up today!

Comments (9)
Categories : encouragement, God-sized Dreams, inspiration, pursuing dreams

The girl in the mirror…

By Genny · Comments (0)
Monday, January 21st, 2013

Today, for Mom-Monday, I’m sharing a previous post with a question I got from a reader about eating disorders, as well as some resources, in the hope that it might help if you or someone in your family is struggling…

The Girl in the Mirror

As I mentioned in my Not Perfect post, this topic has been on my heart a lot lately for a variety of reasons. And while I don’t have all the answers, I do know from my own journey that there’s hope.

There is healing...

Dear Genny,

Your post over at (in)courage about GRACE was wonderful and encouraging. You made mention in that article about your journey through an eating disorder. That is why I am writing to you. My friend’s daughter was recently diagnosed with anorexia and has been struggling with it for about a year. I am wondering if you can give me any advice on how to help in this situation. What was particularly helpful for you? How can I encourage this beautiful, mature, talented young woman who believes she is ugly, fat and good at nothing? She has such a hope and future to look forward to… how can we help her own that future and to see it with hope? Are there particular books or websites that you would recommend?

———-

I exchanged emails back and forth with this reader and found out more about the situation.

My heart ached for this young girl.

I was relieved to hear that she’s in treatment and able to talk to others about what she’s going through. I think that’s one of the most important things. The secrecy and hiding that came with my struggle only made me feel worse, but having someone else–even just one person–know how I felt, helped.

I was also glad to hear that this girl has a support system… people to love her and accept her for who she is. The realization that I didn’t have to be perfect was a big milestone for me.

Several factors helped me out of my struggle, but, honestly, the biggest one was when I turned to God for help. I tried to fix myself for a while (self-help stuff that didn’t stick) then finally said a desperate prayer that became my starting point. Everything wasn’t instantly rosy, but, slowly, I began to understand the truths I was discovering as I dug into my faith–that God’s love is unconditional and more powerful and comforting than I could ever imagine. (Before that, I sort of pictured Him as some distant giant watching from the sky, shaking His head in disappointment whenever I did something wrong).

It took time, and there’s more to my story, but that’s where my healing began.

Eating disorders are complicated, they happen for different reasons, and they affect people in different ways. While I don’t pretend to know what the young girl mentioned in the email above feels or thinks, I do understand her struggle in some way.

And if you’ve ever been that girl in the mirror–whether you overeat or try to starve yourself or just aren’t comfortable in your own skin–you probably do too.

Eating disorders are real and shouldn’t be treated lightly or as a phase.  According to ANAD (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders):
-up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the U.S.
-86% of people report the onset of an eating disorder by the age of 20
-43% report the onset between the ages of 16 – 20, which is even more reason that parents especially should be aware of the signs and symptoms.

In addition, as many as 52% of eating disorder sufferers may have EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified – those who cross over into behaviors of eating disorders, but don’t meet the exact specifications of one in particular). Some studies have shown this to have the highest death rates of any other category of eating disorder. In fact, EDNOS (which is where I fell) is an especially difficult disorder because it can so easily fly under the radar. When I first began to open up to others about the struggle I went through during those years in college, some of my friends had no idea, even though I saw them often during that time. With EDNOS, everything might look fine on the outside, but in reality, on the inside, it’s not.

(To find out more about EDNOS, visit Finding Balance, which focuses primarily on this
disorder.)

If you aren’t sure if you or someone you love might be suffering from an eating disorder, here are some common signs:
-Obsession with calories and fat content of foods.
-Unusual food rituals.
-Self-defeating statements after eating.
-Mood swings, depression, fatigue.
-Dramatic weight loss in a relatively short period of time.
-Wearing big or baggy clothes or dressing in layers to hide body shape and/or weight loss.
-Obsession with weight and complaining of weight problems (even if “average” weight or thin).
-Binging and purging.
-Isolation.

*These are just some of the symptoms listed at Something Fishy Eating Disorder Website. To read more, visit the site.

*You can also read this article over at Mamapedia, 14 Signs that Your Child or Teen Might Have an Eating Disorder.

In addition to counseling, therapy, and support groups that can play an important role in recovery, here are a few websites and books I’d recommend if you or someone you know is struggling:

Websites:

Mercy Ministries

Eating Disorder Referral Website

Signs and Symptoms

National Eating Disorder Association (Hot line 800-931-2237)

ANAD (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders)

Books:

-Nancy Alcorn’s Starved and Beyond Starved (excellent resources for those struggling, as well as the family members of those struggling)

-Natalie Grant’s The Real Me

-Jena Morrow’s Hollow: An Unpolished Tale (This book resonated with me on so many levels. It’s a heartfelt, cautionary tale filled with honesty and hope.)

If you have an eating disorder, please know that you are not alone. I encourage you to reach out to someone you trust.

I love what it says on ANAD’s general information page (packed with information) that it is, “entirely possible to FULLY recover from an eating disorder.”

What about you? Has an eating disorder affected your life in some way? Have you ever struggled with body image issues? Take a minute and share. You never know how your words can touch a life, or help heal a heart…

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Thanks for stopping by for Mom-Monday – a day for mom-stories, tips, articles and inspiration!

To join in, all you have to do is add your URL to the link list below and put my button anywhere on your site. It’s as simple as that; no post necessary. Just an easy way for moms to connect with other moms!

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Categories : eating disorders, encouragement, Mom-Mondays

Sometimes a mom… needs to be told she’s a good mom

By Genny · Comments (4)
Monday, January 14th, 2013

*post previously published

The kids and I pause in the kitchen, listening to the rain outside. It’s coming down harder now, slapping against the patio overhang and the windows.

“The bird!” my daughter yells. We run upstairs to her room to check the balcony.

The mama is still there.

DSC_0698

I don’t know if it’s the same bird we had on the balcony last year—the one who came and made her nest in the very same corner—or if it’s a different one this time. But either way, it breaks our hearts to see her sitting there, wet.

The rain pelts her tiny head and back. She blinks fast to keep the water out.

“We have to help her!” my daughter says, determined. She runs out of her room and I hear the linen cupboard in the hallway open and close. She returns a minute later holding a towel. “We can make a shelter and drape it over the balcony so she’ll stay dry.”

I doubt the bird will sit in her nest while we open the window and hang a towel above her, but it’s worth a try. “Okay, but do it slowly,” I say.

We slide the window open and reach out to hang the towel…

and in an instant, the mama startles and flies away.

Her two tiny eggs lay exposed in the nest.

DSC_0700

“Oh no!” my daughter cries.

“Take the towel down!” my son says.

“It’s okay,” I tell them, closing the window and pulling the towel inside. “She’ll come back.”

“How do you know?” my daughter asks, her face up against the glass, looking at the eggs.

“Because she’s a good mama. She won’t leave.”

We stood there for a while that day, waiting, watching, hardly breathing. And sure enough, within a few minutes, the mama did come back and settle down over her eggs, protecting them from the rain.

It was a relief.

And it was a reminder of the instinct, spirit, and determination of a mom.

It made me think about the teen moms I mentored years ago through Youth for Christ. Those moms–young and unsure and facing their share of difficulties–were just like this mama bird…

determined,

trying their best to be there for their baby,

weathering storms—plenty of them—but staying.

Being a mom isn’t always easy. And especially for teen moms—who face an uphill battle in so many areas of their lives—it can sometimes feel impossible.

I remember one of the moms I mentored telling me that the hardest thing about being a teen mom was the stares she got from others and how she always felt judged. It broke my heart, especially because I knew her story and the courage it took for her to make the choices she made.

So if you know a teen mom—or even if you just see her walking by on the street, at the mall, in the store—will you take a minute to encourage her?

Will you smile at her, ask her if she needs help, or reach out to her in some way?

Because being a mom can sometimes feel like sitting high on a balcony, alone, surrounded by wind and rain and cold.

And a little encouragement can be the very shelter that mom needs.

A little love can be the very thing that changes her world, the world of her kids, and the world you and I live in.

Because sometimes, a mom just needs to be told she’s a good mom.

And then she will be.

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Thanks for stopping by for Mom-Monday – a day for mom-stories, tips, articles and inspiration!

To join in, all you have to do is add your URL to the link list below and put my button anywhere on your site. It’s as simple as that; no post necessary. Just an easy way for moms to connect with other moms!

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Categories : encouragement, mentoring, Mom-Mondays

My God-Sized Dream

By Genny · Comments (26)
Monday, January 7th, 2013

iStock_000001947951XSmall“God-sized dream = a desire for more of what God has for you” - Holley Gerth.

I have to confess; that’s how I think most of the time, always looking forward to what’s ahead… for more of what God has for me.

I live with a constant anticipation of more to come, more to experience, more to accomplish. (In the Strength Finder test, my top strength is Futuristic so it’s no wonder I’m always expecting, hoping, and looking to what’s next.)

All of this has made me quite the planner, the list-maker, and the agenda-creator.

It’s also played a part in my God-sized Dreams backstory.

(If you haven’t seen my posts on twitter or FB, here’s a quick update before I go on: I’m super excited to be part of Holley Gerth’s God-sized Dreams Team. It’s been an inspirational few weeks as the team has started to read the Do What You Can Plan and launched into our dream journey for 2013.)

But about my backstory:

When I read Holley’s blog post inviting women to apply to be part of her Dreams Team, I was instantly interested. (If you’ve been here a while, you know I’m passionate about the topic of pursuing dreams and I write about it often. Helping others pursue their dreams and helping my kids do that too is something I’m really drawn to. Maybe a little too much; just the other day, my daughter and I were talking about the future and she rolled her eyes and said, “Not another dream talk, Mom.”)

Anyway, I read Holley’s post and thought… what is my God-sized dream? What am I longing for right now? What do I hope to come true?

And then I started writing…

A few years ago, if you would have asked me what my God-sized dream was, I would have probably said something like, “Get a big book deal,” or , “Speak to thousands of women,” or “Have my blog hit millions of readers,” but things have changed.

My dreams have changed.

For the last three years, I’ve been helping at Courage Worldwide, a non-profit that builds homes for kids rescued out of trafficking and I’ve seen how just one person touching one life can have a ripple effect. A ripple effect that, in so many ways, really can change the world.

And now, as I contemplate your question about what my God-sized dream is, I realize that’s my answer: to help change the world.

I know that sounds general. And huge. And even “un-doable.” But I’ve seen how God uses our dreams—the desires He plants in our hearts from the very beginning—even dreams like mine of writing and encouraging others—to change lives. Not necessarily in the way we imagined. And not necessarily in the time-frame we hoped for. But He uses them, and He grows them, and His dreams are bigger than ours could ever be. When I was pursuing my dreams for my own purposes (without even realizing it), something was missing.

But now, as I lay my dream of helping to change the world at His feet–whether that might be through big ways to thousands of people, or maybe even bigger ways one-on-one… with my kids, my husband, my friends, my neighbors, my family… I am more excited than ever about what is to come! Every day is an opportunity to make an impact… to change the world.

I read that after I wrote it, and smiled.

It was almost like I was realizing for the first time how God has been shaping me these past several years–patiently steering me away from my ideas of what my life should look like, and growing the passions in my heart to lead me to what I’m supposed to be doing.

It hasn’t always been an easy one, but I love the journey I’ve been on (the stops, starts, failures, and all) and I love how I’m constantly learning to let my own agenda go.

And you know what? The more I do that, the more God opens new doors and reminds me He still knows my dreams and the longings of my heart.

I do want to help change the world.

That is my dream.

But I’m less focused on my ideas of what that might look like,

more open to what God might be asking me to do,

and more excited than ever for what’s ahead.

(Okay, I have to be honest; I’m scared too! But I love what Holley says about the journey…)

“I can tell you this, on your God-sized dreams journey…

You will feel fear.

You will fail at some point.

And you may even find that you have to let a dream go.

But I can also tell you, on your God-sized dreams journey…

You will become more courageous.

You will have victories you never thought possible.

And you will be filled up with what you really need, which is less of you and more of Jesus in your life.”
Photobucket

What about you? What is your dream? Take a minute to share; I’d love to hear it! Then head on over to Holley’s place, link up, and share your dream there too! (Sometimes, saying our dreams out loud or writing them down is the first step to pursuing them!)

Oh, and be sure to look for Holley’s book, which comes out this spring!

God-Sized-Dreams-Cover-730x1024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a last thought on pursuing dreams:

From my post Finding My Story: “I guess when you stop trying to study the map so hard, you get to look out the window and enjoy the view.”

Comments (26)
Categories : encouragement, faith, God-sized Dreams, inspiration, pursuing dreams

What is cleaned out… becomes a gift

By Genny · Comments (4)
Tuesday, January 1st, 2013

I love to clean things out — closets, cupboards, the pantry, you name it. I love the feeling that comes from getting rid of clutter. (Our local Salvation Army knows our name well; it seems like I’m cleaning out and scheduling them to do a pickup every couple of months!)

Cleaning out the old and making room for the new is like a breath of fresh air to me.

And I’ve learned over the years that’s how it is when we clean out the clutter in our hearts too. The hurt, disappointment, doubt, anger, resentment, regret, shame, or guilt that some of us hold onto can keep us from living the lives we were meant to live, yet sometimes we manage to cling to these feelings for years.

Maybe it’s too painful to “go there” so we avoid it.

Maybe it’s easier to stuff our feelings away, minimizing them or convincing ourselves that they aren’t that big a deal… or that they aren’t even real… READ MORE over at 5MinutesforFaith today for inspiration for the New Year! (Sometimes, it’s our biggest piles of clutter that can become the most significant opportunities, because they equip us in a unique way to reach out to others and make an impact.)

Comments (4)
Categories : encouragement, faith

Do all the good you can, as long as you ever can…

By Genny · Comments (2)
Sunday, December 23rd, 2012

It has been heartwarming to see all the love from people across the world being sent to the community of Newtown, CT. (If you’re still wondering about ways you can reach out or do something, click here.)

I’ve been touched by the stories in the news about people doing 26 acts of kindness as a tribute to the 26 victims in the shooting–making teachers cookies, buying coffee for the next person in line at Starbucks, etc.

The other day, I heard about a man who went into Walmart and anonymously gave $10,000 to pay off people’s Christmas layaway accounts. What an amazing way to reach out and help others at this time of year. (Evidently, one of the women whose account was paid off fainted in surprise when Walmart called her to let her know.)

All of this has reminded me that, even though there is tragedy and evil in the world, there is much more goodness, and light, and love.

And that’s what Christmas is about.

I hope you and your family have a beautiful Christmas this year. I appreciate the way you stop by here and read, and I’m looking forward to “seeing” you in the New Year! (I’ll be away from my blog for a bit, spending time with Mike and the kids and family, and cherishing every minute of it.)

Have a wonderful holiday, everyone!

Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can. – John Wesley’s Rule

 

Comments (2)
Categories : encouragement, holidays, reaching out
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