“When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.” ~ J.M. Barrie
Yesterday’s big winds Brought today’s beautiful snow; Fairies tossed feathers!
Wind blew from the south Yesterday’s ferocious sound Brought today’s beauty
Look carefully, you may see the fairies at work!
I caught your cute smile – Yes, you can laugh heartily! Laughter’s contagious.
It’s always the right time to reach out a helping hand!
At the AARP Annual Awards dinner in Helena, MT tonight, Bob & I were awarded a wooden Montana serving plaque as a thank you for our years of service to the Ennis communty. (Thank you, Elaine Forsberg, for nominating us). We do so little compared to so many others!! But, we know every helping hand matters.
What an honor to be among a room full of people from all over our state who enjoy serving others during these, their senior years. Our community of Ennis is filled with people who work tirelessly to help others in a variety of unheralded ways. On behalf of all of you who volunteer to help others at:
The Senior Center
The Madison County Library
The Lion’s Club (Park & Auction, etc.)
The Manor
The Madison Valley Medical Center
The Food Bank
The Ennis Arts Association Festival
The Fly Fishing Festival
The Ennis Children’s Community School
The Senior Companion Program
Local Churches
The Ennis Schools
The MVWC (Madison Valley Woman’s Club – Nearly New)
Etc., etc., etc
We thank you … and we encourage you to keep on giving of your time, talents and love.
This award is for all of you who volunteer!
Tell me some of the ways YOU enjoy volunteering your time.
Each morning, just before I leave my sanctuary and head down the stairs to tackle the new day, I write in my Thankfulness Journal. It reminds me to begin each day with an Attitude of Gratitude.
So, as this page in the journal suggests, I do just that… I take about 5 minutes to reflect back on the day before… and I write down three things for which I am grateful. Sometimes I can’t stop at three (I’ll squeeze in 4 or 5), and other days (like last week when I was so annoyed at the persistent hacky cough), I can only think of one thing… “Life.” But, always there is SOMETHING for which to be thankful.
Here are the two pages for last week’s entries:
Yes, even if it is “just life itself,” there always is a reason for Gratitude
Every month or so, there is a page for reflection – a question to ponder. Today, the page said, “today i am gratetful” and the page across from it invited me to write about a place I am thankful I had the opportunity to visit.
Think about how you would respond to such a prompt. Tell me a place for which you are grateful.
When thinking about a place, this is what came to my mind:
Forget the edited “the” – I fixed it… It belongs before “beautiful” – or not at all. Do you edit and re-edit your work, even in a journal? I don’t usually, but I don’t usually take a picture of it, either!
Yesterday I worked at the Food Bank. The shelves were mighty bare. It’s because some folks are getting ready to replace the worn out carpet in there. I am grateful for the Food Bank, for those who donate food and those who donate time, for those who donate money and those who Care and Share in a ton of ways.
Today Bob & I are going to Helena, MT. We have been invited to an AARP Volunteers’ Recognition dinner there. I will tell you all about it tomorrow. It is our privilege to volunteer our time during these “Golden Years” to help those who need it. I am grateful today to Elaine Forsberg who nominated us as “Montana State Volunteers” worthy of mention. We do it for the Glory of the One who blesses us. Giving back is our greatest joy.
For more opportunities to appreciate Derrick’s wonderful photos of animals, flowers, his garden, scenery in Great Britain, and his clever commentary, click on the link above. Be ready for some oohs and ahs!
A Natural WHAT? You want to be NATURAL… But, NATURAL WHAT?
In today’s sermon, Rev. Steve Hundley at the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church used this as his sermon topic: “The Natural.”
If you’ve followed my blog for awhile, you know I have a habit of taking notes in poetry while listening to the sermon. It helps me listen better, and recall the message later on. I like to share my notes with you. Here are today’s:
The advertisement asked for A new pastor for a tired church, Worn down and worn out. They were left in the lurch.
The Hebrew Church felt
The way this ad describes.
Weak knees and weak hands was
How they were depicted by scribes.
Jesus, the High Priest, is superior, The scribes reminded them. Pay attention to what He said and did. They were given a long list from Him.
Be kind to strangers, remembering You may be entertaining angels. Be kind to one another, because You, too, will someday be strangers.
Be kind and compassionate Until that behavior is natural. When people call you Christ-like, Be sure that remark is factual.
Remember those who are suffering As if you’re suffering, too. Pay attention to those around – They surely need love from you,
Behavior becomes a habit If you practice it enough. So, practice loving behavior Until sharing it ain’t so tough!
Become a NATURAL Christian, One who loves without a second thought. Help us, Lord, to use our lessons daily – Being as Christ-like as we’ve been taught.
If I have the courage to “be myself” while realizing “I am a wonderful person,” then I need to be analytical. WHAT is it that I have been TAUGHT? And are all those lessons the ones I need in order to be a “Natural” at being a “Christian”? What does being a “Natural Christian” mean?
I need to ask myself, “Have you practiced loving behavior enough to be a natural at it? What’s your first response in the face of strangers?”
What do you think, friends, what are you a Natural at?
