A Prayer for Today

Dear Heavenly Father,

Today I ask You to place Your healing hands on all my friends and their families. Heal those who need Your touch. Enter the hearts of those who are seeking You. Bless their homes, their work, and their daily activities.

This prayer is being sent through Your precious son, Jesus Christ, whom You sent to save us all. Amen.

First Day of Lent

Have you decided what you are giving up for Lent? I've decided to give up my Diet Caffeine Free Cola. Love that stuff.

Do something nice for somebody today!

Being Blessed by an Act of Kindness

Yesterday I had to purchase some craft gloves, and on the journey I asked God to show me an opportunity to bless someone with an act of kindness. I walked through the store for several minutes and found what I needed and headed back to the checkout lanes. The lines were long and a new cashier opened her lane. A young man stepped in first and I followed. We had to wait while the cashier put her drawer in and got it ready. She kept apologizing, but I kept looking at what the young man had on the counter as his purchase. He had one bottle of black acrylic craft paint, like one uses for ceramics. I knew it wouldn't cost much. He also had a 40% off coupon. I wondered if this was the opportunity God had planned. The cashier rang his order and it came to only fifty-seven cents. He started to hand her his bank card and I said, "Please put your card away. I will pay for your purchase with mine." He looked at me and said, "Are you sure?" I smiled and said, "Absolutely. Have a wonderful day and one day pass it on." He smiled back and thanked me. The cashier was gushing about how I had made her day...how she'd hoped that would happen one day in her line. I felt that I'd actually blessed three people, the young man, the cashier, and myself. My heart was full of happiness. Then when my register tape printed out, the cashier was amazed. She said, "You got a 20% discount for your next purchase! You blessed someone and received a blessing in return." I thanked her and told her that was something we should all remember.

So, have you blessed someone recently? If so, please share your story by sending it to me. You can do so by using the "contact me" link on my website. I will post it here on my blog. The goal is to show everyone that acts of kindness are happening all around the world, every single day.

God bless and thanks for reading!

Sometimes It's the Little Things that Count

In the morning commute, we all tend to keep our eyes straight ahead intent on getting to work on time and wishing everyone would get out of the way. I try not to dwell on that mentality, but I must admit that it does happen. I've been that person sitting at a crossroads wanting to turn when no one will give me the courtesy. So, I decided yesterday that I would be kind to anyone who needed to turn. Since I travel on a two lane road all the way to work, this wouldn't be difficult. My first opportunity was a school bus driving the opposite direction. The driver was trying to turn left into a subdivision but the long line of traffic kept moving. When I got close enough, I stopped and signaled the driver it was safe to turn. I got a wave in return. As I traveled along the road, I found two more opportunities to allow people to move out of their subdivisions into our lane of traffic. Each person acknowledged the kindness. By the time I reached work, I felt happy and upbeat. Doing little kindnesses will bring a happiness to your soul.

I'd love to share your stories of "keeping hope alive" in our troubled world. It doesn't have to be big and it doesn't have to be monetary. Email your story to me from the "contact" page on my website. I will be happy to keep your name annonymous if you prefer.

HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
--Emily Dickinson

God bless and may your day be filled with His blessings.

Spreading Kindness One Story at a Time

Hello dear friends,

I've decided to reopen this blog after being inspired by another writer friend. There is so much talk about bad things happening, the spiraling economy, depression, and destruction flooding the internet, the newspapers, the radio and television. But, there are wonderful things happening every day that aren't reported. Even though evil is invading our world today, it is no different than in the beginning, when Eve took that first bite of the apple.

But God is still active and he is touching people every day through his followers. My writer friend pulled through a drive thru one morning and asked how much the order was for the car behind her. She then paid for that order as well as her own. When the cashier asked if she knew the people, she told her no, but that she hoped the people in turn would do an act of kindness for someone else. The cashier smiled and said she would pass that on to the unsuspecting recipients of my friend's generosity. Now my writer friend has been inspired to do something good for another person each week, and she has issued the challenge to others.

I've decided to pick up the challenge. Each week, I will look for an opportunity to do something for someone else. And, I'm asking each of my readers to take up the challenge as well. Send me your story of kindness through the contact info on my website (Click here) and I'll post it here on my blog.

Last week my act of kindness was to pay the membership dues for another writer who didn't have the money to pay before having late fees. What about you? Care to share?

I believe God gives us opportunities every day to do a kindness for another person, but sometimes we aren't listening. It doesn't have to be monetary. Perhaps you know an older person who might be lonely. You could visit and share your time. You could visit a nursing home. You could write a letter to a soldier. There are many, many ways to reach out and help someone with a smile, a kind word, or a deed.

I'm looking forward to posting my weekly act of kindness, and I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

God Bless and thanks for stopping by.