When you help someone else how does that make you feel? For me, I get a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. It lets me know I'm doing the right thing. If I were to do something for only self-satisfying reason, there isn't that good feeling that comes with it. You feel kind of icky after it's all said and done and you've had time to think about it. I always think back to Mari and her time in the hospital. On the day the "Doom and Gloom Squad" sat us down one final time to tell us that our beautiful … [Read more...]
Requiring someone to be a volunteer
Wouldn't it be nice if we could make volunteer work mandatory. Think about it. Maybe we'd have happier people if we all volunteered. But then if it was forced on every single person, the reason behind volunteering would be lost. People would have bad attitudes about it. They'd make those around them miserable. Who'd want to work with people like that. Forcing people to do it just to do it wouldn't work. You have to want to do it. You have to want to have a serving heart. I think of all the … [Read more...]
Volunteers: A Priceless Commodity
Being a volunteer. Do we really know what our time means to someone else when volunteer our time? Sometimes I think we take for granted what some people do. Not that we do it on purpose, but we all get busy with our own lives. Things happen. For example, think of all the people it takes to run a single church. There are only a few paid positions. The pastor. The church secretary. Maybe one or two associate pastors. If the church is big enough, a youth pastor. But that might be about it. Think … [Read more...]
Not For A Moment (Meredith Andrews)
As it has become the norm every day while we do school, KLove is on in the background. Not just to have music on, because that is always nice. But it is more than that for us. First, it one of us gets frustrated, it seems to calm us. Talk about a blessing. It's the words in the songs that are played. But then there are songs that just tug at your own heart as they touch you in a personal. The words cut straight to your heart. For me, it happened again today. The song "Not For A … [Read more...]
Day 125: Approval
That one little word, approval, can mean so much to someone. To know that someone approves of something you have said or done. It gives you the confidence you might not have had otherwise. I think back on the time during the time when Mari was in the hospital. When she had made it to her fourth and final hospital I was told by one of the nurses about CarePages. She told me it was a way to keep family and friends updated on Mari and how she was doing. I couldn’t wait to get started. We had so … [Read more...]
Moments Where Prayer Is Needed
In life we have so many different types of moments that forever touch us in some way. Some are those happy moments that you remember with a smile on your face. And then there are those that when you look back bring tears to your eyes. You couldn't stop the tears if you tried. I have a friend. Her sister's little girl over a year ago ingested toxic soda, or better known here in the US as a dry powder crystal type Draino. When I found out, I of course hoped that somehow the little 2-year-old … [Read more...]
Day 122: Fiction vs. Nonfiction
I think back to the day while Mari was in the hospital and I told someone that whether Mari made it or if she passed I was thinking about writing a book about her life. I’m not exactly sure why I would have thought to do something like this as I definitely didn’t believe I was a writer. After she passed and a little time had passed, I decided to write a book about her life. The only drawback to all of this is I had no idea what I was doing. My husband tried to help me with editing it the best … [Read more...]
Missing my writing
Here recently my writing has been on my mind a lot. However, I've been so busy as the new school year has started. I've spent the past couple of month planning out the following school year for my niece/daughter as she is in the 5th grade this year. She is such a bright, smart little girl. She is very young for a 5th grader as she is only 9 and won't turn 10 until the end of October, but you won't know it if you knew how smart she is and how well she handles most of her subjects (history, well … [Read more...]
Day 116: Why Writers Get Scared
As writers we have to be willing to pour ourselves into our writing. It’s what makes a good story. I think the reason why my daughter’s hospital story has touched so many is because the words written came directly from my heart. I didn’t hold anything back. At the time I only thought of them as updates for friends and family. But over time they have become so much more. Some of the comments I’ve received have been such a blessing for me. (To read the comments others have left, click on “Her … [Read more...]
Day 112: Getting to Denver by 4:00
The basic gist is this: Procrastination. How often do we say or think, “Oh, I can wait to do ________ until tomorrow (or whatever time you put). Fill in the blank with whatever it is you are putting off. For me, it has been so many different things. I think we can all say that about something that we needed to do but didn’t feel like it so we pushed it off until the last possible minute and then it’s crunch time. I admit that I have procrastinated a few times with my writing. I know it will … [Read more...]
