ANNOUNCING . . . One a day BOOK GIVEAWAYS for January 2010
EVERY DAY Jan. 2nd - Jan 30th, some lucky winner will receive a FREE book. That's 28 chances to WIN! My book, "Women of Virtue", is being featured on January 25th.
How do I enter the contest?
Go to the following author's blog: http://www.camicheckettsbooks.blogspot.com/
and check out which books are being offered and on which days.
Just do what Cami says and you might be so lucky to win!
Pass this info along to your friends and family.
Here is a listing of the books that will be given away and the days that they will be featured:
BOOK GIVEAWAYS
January 2nd - 101 Gourmet Cupcakes by Wendy Paul
January 4th - Where the Wind Blows by Caroline Fyffe
January 6th - Guided By Him…to a Thinner, Not So Stressed-Out You by Julie Morris
January 8th - Chickens in the Headlights by Matthew Buckley
January 9th - Loyalty's Web by Joyce DiPastena
January 11th - Altered Plans by Rebecca Talley
January 13th - My Son, John by Kathi Macias
January 15th - Discipline Me Right by Mary Simmons
January 16th - The Sister Pact by Cami Checketts
January 18th - Counting the Cost by Liz Adair
January 20th - Methods of Madness by Stephanie Black
January 22nd - Altered State by Gregg Luke
January 23rd - A Tapestry of Spells by Lynn Kurland
January 25th - Women of Virtue by Jodi Robinson
January 27th - Torn Apart by Diony George
January 29th - All the Stars in Heaven by Michele Holmes
January 30th - Love Your Body by Brooke Parker
Have fun and let me know if you WIN!
Book Giveaways by Cami Checketts
Happy New Year!
I live my life in layers. Wife, mother, author, speaker, and dabbler of all things interesting. When those interests gel you get S P U M O N I.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The Piano and the True Meaning of Gift Giving
Years ago, I received a remarkable gift. One that taught me that a true gift is given with love and sacrifice.
Except for the radio playing “it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” the commute home from North Dallas to the midcities area was turning out to be just like any other weekday commute. Cars were lined up bumper to bumper on I-35, all the way to the 121 interchange and beyond. I was so relieved to see the shiny, high rises disappearing in my rear view mirror that I yelled out, “Yea, for the holidays!” I then exited the toll road and pushed on the gas. December 25th was only 8 hours away.
An hour and ten minutes later, I pulled into my driveway, pushed the garage door opener, and watched it go up. Anxious to be home, I didn’t notice the yellow U-haul truck parked in front of my neighbor’s house. I parked next to my husband’s green truck, got out of the car, and opened up the back passenger door.
“Tomorrow’s Christmas, baby Jacqueline. Your first Christmas,” I said lifting my 9-month-old, baby daughter out of her car set. Her big brown eyes melted my heart. That day was Jacqueline’s last day at her daycare. I was quitting my job at the end of the month and starting with a new company, so I could work from home. Working in the big city wasn’t as exciting as it once was, because the minute I got to work all I could think about was picking up my baby and listening to her coo, and giggle. My new job would give me more time to be a mommy. Becoming a family was certainly more than I could have ever hoped for. It did, in fact, change everything.
"We're ho-ome!" I called out as we entered the side door. My husband greeted us and quickly whisked baby Jacqueline away.
“Hold her while I get dinner going and wrap a few more gifts?” I said heading for the bedroom to change my clothes. As I shut the blinds, I glanced out the window. Once again, I didn’t pay attention to the yellow U-haul in front of my neighbor’s house. I was too busy thinking about Christmas morning and how Christian and I were going to have so much fun watching our baby play with her new toys.
After dinner, we delivered some goodies to friends, organized the presents under the tree, put Jacqueline to bed, called family members to wish them a Merry Christmas, and finally hit the sack about 11 p.m. I had had a long and busy work week and within minutes of lying down I was out.
As soon as I was asleep, unbeknownst to me, my husband sprung into action. Now, Christian knew I was a sound sleeper, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. So, just as he had planned, he turned on the television for some background noise and placed a pillow over the side of my head. It wasn’t unusual for me to sleep with a pillow on my head. That was a skill I had learned in college, because my roommates were night owls. Since I had early morning classes, the pillow over my head remedied the noise factor so I could get some decent shut eye.
After getting redressed, Christian quietly shut the door to our bedroom. On his way downstairs, he turned up the heater. That way the cold air from the front door being propped open wouldn’t wake me. He had thought of everything. He then headed out, into a chilly December night, over to our neighbor’s yard, where he climbed into the yellow U-haul, started up the engine, and backed it into our driveway.
To my surprise, my Christmas present was inside the back of that truck. It was a 1962, brown Baldwin upright piano; a gift he had been planning for some time. For years, I played on an electric keyboard, but I dreamed of having my own piano. I had never said it out loud. I only thought it. But Christian knew. He just knew. Getting a piano was the farthest thing from my mind because he hadn’t, yet, graduated from the University of Texas. We had a new baby and had just bought our first house. A piano, at least for now, was out of the question.
To my surprise, though, my husband had thought a lot about a piano. He started calling on classified ads several months earlier and researching different used pianos. Money was also something he had to secretly keep from me. Saving $800 dollars without my knowing was quite a clever feat.
As Christian unlatched that back door to the truck and uncovered the piano, I’m sure he doubted, for at least a second or two, how he was going to pull off this surprise. Moving an almost 500 pound piano, up two front stairs, across a living room floor, and into a dining room, by himself, in the middle of the night, was not an easy task, and doing it quietly was nearly impossible. But somehow, two hours and half hours later, my husband had accomplished the impossible. (I’m still not quite sure how he did it.) Next, he set up our video camera on a tripod at the bottom of the stairs, so the big surprise would be caught on tape.
Seven O' clock the next morning, right on schedule, baby Jacqueline woke up. I rushed into her bedroom, scooped her up in my arms, and said, “It’s Christmas! Let’s go see what Santa brought.”
“Hold on,” said my husband. “Let me go turn on the camera.”
“Oh, what a great idea,” I said. “Getting Jacqueline’s reaction on her very first Christmas, you’re brilliant.” I was clueless. After a few minutes, he said he was ready for us and gave us the go ahead to come down the stairs.
“Let’s go see what Santa brought,” I said bouncing my babe in arms. I waved her little arm and I smiled at the camera, thinking that the purpose of capturing that moment was about my baby and not me.
Little did I know the camera was all about me and my surprise. My husband wanted me to see my reaction so I would remember it forever. And I do remember it. I remember turning the corner and, to my astonishment, seeing a giant red bow wrapped around a 1962, brown, Baldwin upright piano nestled against the east wall of my dining room. Thanks to his forward thinking, that Christmas morning memory is a priceless family video.
“Ahh! What!?” my hand flew over my mouth. “You!? How!? Oh, my goodness you got me a piano!? Oh, I can’t believe you got me a piano!? What! How on earth did you get this in here? You could have killed yourself! What were you thinking!?” I said hitting him on the shoulder. “Do you know how heavy pianos are?”
“Uh, yea I figured that out,” he replied.
I began to cry and then I was speechless. My husband went on to explain that my piano was in that yellow, U-haul truck all along.
“What U-haul truck?” I exclaimed. He told me he was so worried that, being the nosey neighbor that I was, he thought for sure I would question why our neighbors had a moving truck in front of their house on Christmas eve and go over there to find out why. However, he managed to pull off my surprise without any hiccups. Getting that piano into our house, all by himself, in the middle of the night, without waking me up, or our baby, was purely a Christmas miracle. I knew I had received a remarkable gift, given with such for-thought, sacrifice and love that my piano became a symbol of what Christmas was truly all about.
“It needs a good tuning. And one of the keys kind of sticks. But we can fix that,” he said quietly.
I didn’t care if didn't have any keys all! Given out of love it was the most perfect piano EVER!
Christian and I have now been married 19 years this coming February. Since that 1996 Christmas, I’ve had several chances to upgrade my $800.00, 1962, brown Baldwin to a newer and more modern model. But I’ve never had the heart to do it. You see, every once in awhile, when I sit down to play songs, and my fingers hit those sticky keys, I’m reminded of a tender, Texas Christmas, in the home of a young couple, who was starting out their life together as a family, and, in that moment, I am gently reminded of the love and sacrifice it took to give me that gift, and I realize that there is no better sounding piano, anywhere; for the melodies it plays are priceless.
May this Christmas be a reminder to all of us to remember the gifts that come to us by way of love and sacrifice. Especially the sacrifice of the Christ child, whose birth we celebrate. The Savior, the son of God, paid the ultimate price for our eternal happiness. Of his magnificent gift, of life and death, let us be gracious receivers and value it like no other.
May the spirit of the holidays be with you and your family throughout the coming year.
With love,
Jodi
Except for the radio playing “it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” the commute home from North Dallas to the midcities area was turning out to be just like any other weekday commute. Cars were lined up bumper to bumper on I-35, all the way to the 121 interchange and beyond. I was so relieved to see the shiny, high rises disappearing in my rear view mirror that I yelled out, “Yea, for the holidays!” I then exited the toll road and pushed on the gas. December 25th was only 8 hours away.
An hour and ten minutes later, I pulled into my driveway, pushed the garage door opener, and watched it go up. Anxious to be home, I didn’t notice the yellow U-haul truck parked in front of my neighbor’s house. I parked next to my husband’s green truck, got out of the car, and opened up the back passenger door.
“Tomorrow’s Christmas, baby Jacqueline. Your first Christmas,” I said lifting my 9-month-old, baby daughter out of her car set. Her big brown eyes melted my heart. That day was Jacqueline’s last day at her daycare. I was quitting my job at the end of the month and starting with a new company, so I could work from home. Working in the big city wasn’t as exciting as it once was, because the minute I got to work all I could think about was picking up my baby and listening to her coo, and giggle. My new job would give me more time to be a mommy. Becoming a family was certainly more than I could have ever hoped for. It did, in fact, change everything.
"We're ho-ome!" I called out as we entered the side door. My husband greeted us and quickly whisked baby Jacqueline away.
“Hold her while I get dinner going and wrap a few more gifts?” I said heading for the bedroom to change my clothes. As I shut the blinds, I glanced out the window. Once again, I didn’t pay attention to the yellow U-haul in front of my neighbor’s house. I was too busy thinking about Christmas morning and how Christian and I were going to have so much fun watching our baby play with her new toys.
After dinner, we delivered some goodies to friends, organized the presents under the tree, put Jacqueline to bed, called family members to wish them a Merry Christmas, and finally hit the sack about 11 p.m. I had had a long and busy work week and within minutes of lying down I was out.
As soon as I was asleep, unbeknownst to me, my husband sprung into action. Now, Christian knew I was a sound sleeper, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. So, just as he had planned, he turned on the television for some background noise and placed a pillow over the side of my head. It wasn’t unusual for me to sleep with a pillow on my head. That was a skill I had learned in college, because my roommates were night owls. Since I had early morning classes, the pillow over my head remedied the noise factor so I could get some decent shut eye.
After getting redressed, Christian quietly shut the door to our bedroom. On his way downstairs, he turned up the heater. That way the cold air from the front door being propped open wouldn’t wake me. He had thought of everything. He then headed out, into a chilly December night, over to our neighbor’s yard, where he climbed into the yellow U-haul, started up the engine, and backed it into our driveway.
To my surprise, my Christmas present was inside the back of that truck. It was a 1962, brown Baldwin upright piano; a gift he had been planning for some time. For years, I played on an electric keyboard, but I dreamed of having my own piano. I had never said it out loud. I only thought it. But Christian knew. He just knew. Getting a piano was the farthest thing from my mind because he hadn’t, yet, graduated from the University of Texas. We had a new baby and had just bought our first house. A piano, at least for now, was out of the question.
To my surprise, though, my husband had thought a lot about a piano. He started calling on classified ads several months earlier and researching different used pianos. Money was also something he had to secretly keep from me. Saving $800 dollars without my knowing was quite a clever feat.
As Christian unlatched that back door to the truck and uncovered the piano, I’m sure he doubted, for at least a second or two, how he was going to pull off this surprise. Moving an almost 500 pound piano, up two front stairs, across a living room floor, and into a dining room, by himself, in the middle of the night, was not an easy task, and doing it quietly was nearly impossible. But somehow, two hours and half hours later, my husband had accomplished the impossible. (I’m still not quite sure how he did it.) Next, he set up our video camera on a tripod at the bottom of the stairs, so the big surprise would be caught on tape.
Seven O' clock the next morning, right on schedule, baby Jacqueline woke up. I rushed into her bedroom, scooped her up in my arms, and said, “It’s Christmas! Let’s go see what Santa brought.”
“Hold on,” said my husband. “Let me go turn on the camera.”
“Oh, what a great idea,” I said. “Getting Jacqueline’s reaction on her very first Christmas, you’re brilliant.” I was clueless. After a few minutes, he said he was ready for us and gave us the go ahead to come down the stairs.
“Let’s go see what Santa brought,” I said bouncing my babe in arms. I waved her little arm and I smiled at the camera, thinking that the purpose of capturing that moment was about my baby and not me.
Little did I know the camera was all about me and my surprise. My husband wanted me to see my reaction so I would remember it forever. And I do remember it. I remember turning the corner and, to my astonishment, seeing a giant red bow wrapped around a 1962, brown, Baldwin upright piano nestled against the east wall of my dining room. Thanks to his forward thinking, that Christmas morning memory is a priceless family video.
“Ahh! What!?” my hand flew over my mouth. “You!? How!? Oh, my goodness you got me a piano!? Oh, I can’t believe you got me a piano!? What! How on earth did you get this in here? You could have killed yourself! What were you thinking!?” I said hitting him on the shoulder. “Do you know how heavy pianos are?”
“Uh, yea I figured that out,” he replied.
I began to cry and then I was speechless. My husband went on to explain that my piano was in that yellow, U-haul truck all along.
“What U-haul truck?” I exclaimed. He told me he was so worried that, being the nosey neighbor that I was, he thought for sure I would question why our neighbors had a moving truck in front of their house on Christmas eve and go over there to find out why. However, he managed to pull off my surprise without any hiccups. Getting that piano into our house, all by himself, in the middle of the night, without waking me up, or our baby, was purely a Christmas miracle. I knew I had received a remarkable gift, given with such for-thought, sacrifice and love that my piano became a symbol of what Christmas was truly all about.
“It needs a good tuning. And one of the keys kind of sticks. But we can fix that,” he said quietly.
I didn’t care if didn't have any keys all! Given out of love it was the most perfect piano EVER!
Christian and I have now been married 19 years this coming February. Since that 1996 Christmas, I’ve had several chances to upgrade my $800.00, 1962, brown Baldwin to a newer and more modern model. But I’ve never had the heart to do it. You see, every once in awhile, when I sit down to play songs, and my fingers hit those sticky keys, I’m reminded of a tender, Texas Christmas, in the home of a young couple, who was starting out their life together as a family, and, in that moment, I am gently reminded of the love and sacrifice it took to give me that gift, and I realize that there is no better sounding piano, anywhere; for the melodies it plays are priceless.
May this Christmas be a reminder to all of us to remember the gifts that come to us by way of love and sacrifice. Especially the sacrifice of the Christ child, whose birth we celebrate. The Savior, the son of God, paid the ultimate price for our eternal happiness. Of his magnificent gift, of life and death, let us be gracious receivers and value it like no other.
With love,
Jodi
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
WINNERS of my GOLD STAR CHALLENGE
How did you do giving out your GOLD STARS? Our three WINNERS (by random selection...pulling names out of jars...very scientific) are: Robynl, Elizabeth Morgan, and Teri Nine. Email me your addresses at jodirobinson2182@hotmail.com, and I will have the authors send you your book. Thanks again to Jewel, Joyce Dipastena, and Liz Adair for donating their books for our GOLD STAR contest.
I really had fun giving out GOLD STARS, did you? Because of this challenge, I did so much better at complimenting and uplifting everyone I was around. It kept it top-of-mind. It also taught me how easy it is to think negatively and even say negative things in place of something positive. So, that's a good New Year's resolution. To give a GOLD STAR instead of sack of potatoes, or in other words, give a blessing instead of a curse. I'll write more about that in the New Year. Here were just a few of my 100 GOLD STARS given out this past week.
Just a few of JODI'S 100 GOLD STARS
1. Kissed my son and daughter on the forehead as they were heading off to school and told them they were the best kids ever! (My son yelled back, "You're the best mom ever!")
2. Told my husband I admired him. (He said, "What did you say?" I went on to explain. I need to verbally tell him more often how much I really do admire him. He's a really good man.)
3. Sent an email to someone I had lost track of over the years and told her how much her encouragement meant to me when I was younger. She emailed me back and said she really appreciated it.
4. Clapped my hands when my four-year-old colored me a beautiful picture of Strawberry Shortcake. "You're a fantastic artist, Zoey." She smiled and said, "I'm going to make you another one."
5. This isn't really a verbal gold star, but I earned 2 for cleaning up my daughter's throw up (without complaining) at my older daughter's dance recital in front of a crowd. (I think I earned at least 2 stars for this one.)
6. Said a prayer for someone I knew needed one.
7. Brought some homemade fudge to one of my dear friends and told her thank you for putting up with me. (It's the BEST EVER fudge and I mean it. Sorry no one else got some...but I had too much fun eating the rest. That's why I had to give out truffles to the rest of you instead.)
8. Helped my daughter buy flowers for her two friends and before we gave them the flowers we talked about all the good things we liked about each friend.
9. Told my Heavenly Father he was really good at his job.
10. Complimented a stranger coming out of Kohls' telling her that she had a darling haircut. (She was so flattered.)
11. Told my hairdresser I was so lucky to have found her.
12. Told my oldest daughter she was beautiful.
13. Told my second daughter she was beautiful.
14. Told my son he was handsome.
15. Told my youngest daughter that she melted my heart. "You melt my heart, mommy." She said back.
16. I told several women throughout the week, whenever I had chance to talk with them, why I loved them and why I was blessed to have them in my life.
17. Said to the checker at the Fresh Market, "Thank you for being so helpful."
18. Sat next to one of my kid's past teachers at a concert and told her she really made a difference in my daughter's 5th grade year.
19. Thanked a few of new neighbors for being so welcoming.
20. Told my oldest daughter's band teacher that he is a fabulous teacher! That I am grateful for his talents and for giving so much to our kids. Band teacher's dont' get paid much, but, boy do they make difference in student's lives in helping them develop their love for music. I dare say, "Mr. Perkins, you rock!"
My next post won't be until after January 3, 2010. I pray that each of us will decide to develop a deeper relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the reason for the season...but more than that...he is the reason for everything. Merry Christmas and may all your Christmas wishes come true.
Love,
Jodi
True beauty if felt more than it is seen.
I really had fun giving out GOLD STARS, did you? Because of this challenge, I did so much better at complimenting and uplifting everyone I was around. It kept it top-of-mind. It also taught me how easy it is to think negatively and even say negative things in place of something positive. So, that's a good New Year's resolution. To give a GOLD STAR instead of sack of potatoes, or in other words, give a blessing instead of a curse. I'll write more about that in the New Year. Here were just a few of my 100 GOLD STARS given out this past week.
Just a few of JODI'S 100 GOLD STARS
1. Kissed my son and daughter on the forehead as they were heading off to school and told them they were the best kids ever! (My son yelled back, "You're the best mom ever!")
2. Told my husband I admired him. (He said, "What did you say?" I went on to explain. I need to verbally tell him more often how much I really do admire him. He's a really good man.)
3. Sent an email to someone I had lost track of over the years and told her how much her encouragement meant to me when I was younger. She emailed me back and said she really appreciated it.
4. Clapped my hands when my four-year-old colored me a beautiful picture of Strawberry Shortcake. "You're a fantastic artist, Zoey." She smiled and said, "I'm going to make you another one."
5. This isn't really a verbal gold star, but I earned 2 for cleaning up my daughter's throw up (without complaining) at my older daughter's dance recital in front of a crowd. (I think I earned at least 2 stars for this one.)
6. Said a prayer for someone I knew needed one.
7. Brought some homemade fudge to one of my dear friends and told her thank you for putting up with me. (It's the BEST EVER fudge and I mean it. Sorry no one else got some...but I had too much fun eating the rest. That's why I had to give out truffles to the rest of you instead.)
8. Helped my daughter buy flowers for her two friends and before we gave them the flowers we talked about all the good things we liked about each friend.
9. Told my Heavenly Father he was really good at his job.
10. Complimented a stranger coming out of Kohls' telling her that she had a darling haircut. (She was so flattered.)
11. Told my hairdresser I was so lucky to have found her.
12. Told my oldest daughter she was beautiful.
13. Told my second daughter she was beautiful.
14. Told my son he was handsome.
15. Told my youngest daughter that she melted my heart. "You melt my heart, mommy." She said back.
16. I told several women throughout the week, whenever I had chance to talk with them, why I loved them and why I was blessed to have them in my life.
17. Said to the checker at the Fresh Market, "Thank you for being so helpful."
18. Sat next to one of my kid's past teachers at a concert and told her she really made a difference in my daughter's 5th grade year.
19. Thanked a few of new neighbors for being so welcoming.
20. Told my oldest daughter's band teacher that he is a fabulous teacher! That I am grateful for his talents and for giving so much to our kids. Band teacher's dont' get paid much, but, boy do they make difference in student's lives in helping them develop their love for music. I dare say, "Mr. Perkins, you rock!"
My next post won't be until after January 3, 2010. I pray that each of us will decide to develop a deeper relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the reason for the season...but more than that...he is the reason for everything. Merry Christmas and may all your Christmas wishes come true.
Love,
Jodi
True beauty if felt more than it is seen.
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Gold Star Challenge-Giving Out Gold-Join Me and WIN A FREE BOOK!
What is the GOLD STAR CHALLENCE?
Okay, so, I've been thinking about creating a Gold Star Chart for my 4 1/2 year old to motivate her to stay in her Sunday school class at Church. We've just moved and so she's been leary about her new friends, new classroom, and new church building. At her age, gold stars go a long way. She loves seeing that row of gold grow across the page and sometimes that does the trick to help her do better at whatever I'm trying to teach her.
Well, it got me thinking about Gold Stars, and how it's been a while since I received a gold star. As a mother of four children, I do a lot of things that should earn me a gold star. Like doing the dishes. I washed all the Sunday dishes, all by myself, and because it's Sunday we dirty a lot of dishes. The sink and counters were overflowing with plates, cups, bowls, and silverware. After I was done, I thought to myself, "I earned a gold star for that." But nobody gave me one. Nobody clapped their hands and jumped up and down and said, "Jodi, you are such a good dish washer." As I dried that last dish and placed it in the cupboard, I pictured my husband placing a gold star on my forehead and my children surrounding me with clapping hands and patting me on the back. I liked it.
Getting a Gold Star just makes you feel good. You remember how it felt, don't you? Which...brings me to my point that no matter how old we are, no matter what we've achieved in life, we all crave positive feedback. We all need that pat on the back, that "A" for effort, or that gold star that tells us that we're doing great! So, here's another thought; as much as we'd like to receive a gold star, how often do we give a gold star? GIVING OUT gold stars, or compliments, or positive feedback in general, also feels really good because the person you're giving it to feeds you positive energy right back. It's a win-win!
So, here is the GOLD STAR CHALLENGE. This week is going to be my GOLD STAR week. And, it's most appropriate for the holidays because on top of my Christmas tree is, in fact, a gold star. It's a great reminder that I need to give GOLD STARS to my husband, to my children, to my friends, and even to strangers. I'm so excited! Even the check out lady at Wal-mart is going to get a gold star from me today, I can just feel it. And I can't wait! This will be the best week ever because I'm going to set a goal to give out 100 gold stars. Ya, think I can do it? Piece-a-cake.
JOIN ME in the GOLD STAR CHALLENGE and WIN a FREE BOOK: So, if you're interested in joining me, give out as many gold stars as you can and POST your experience in the comments below. Next Tuesday, December 22, 2009, I'll post the THREE winners.
Let's give out a little gold! I'll report back and let you know what I did with all of my gold stars. I'd love to know what you did with yours.
I RECEIVED A GOLD STAR FROM A READER
I did receive a wonderful Gold Star this morning from a reader of my book, "Women of Virtue." It's so nice when someone takes the time to email you and tell you that you've made a difference in their life. Seriously, it's worth more than gold. So, thanks to Elizabeth Adams, I'm starting off my Monday with an imaginary Gold Star on my forehead...and I feel like a winner. Thanks, Elizabeth. You gave me a Gold Star and because of you I'm passing along Gold Stars to everyone I meet for the rest of the week.
Dear Jodi,
I don't know if you remember me but I'm Elizabeth Adams. You gave a talk at my church, at our 'Young Women in Exellence' night. You gave me your book, "Women of Virtue", and I just finished reading it, and I just had to thank you. It's my new favorite book! I think I cried three times while reading it! It was so inspirational and I just wanted to thank you for giving me a copy. I feel that your book is a such a gift to all women and I so hope you keep writing. Your book really touched my heart, and I just want to, again, thank you so, so much.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Adams
Again, thanks Elizabeth. Your Gold Star was as good as gold.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
What are YOU Reading? Here's my two latest holiday picks.
Positively Delightful
I have a NEW favorite holiday poem. It's called Bethlehem's Star by Bevan Olsen. I paid only $2.99 for this 12 page story that is sure to become a family favorite for years to come. You can read the whole poem and see the illustrations when you click on the link.
Google-Bethlehem's Star
I bought my copy, of all places, at my local grocery store. And I'm so glad I just happened upon it. You can order it on-line. Here's a link for Google. Again, a great price for a Christmas tale that touches your heart.
Over Thanksgiving, I read The Modern Magi, by Carolyn Pearson, with my entire family. It's only about 60 pages, so it's an easy read to enjoy with your kids. The story is about a woman named Annabelle who is forced to examine her willingnes to give a "true" gift, which means giving up something she wants most. This lovely tale that teaches us about the meaning of true gift giving. Everyone loved it! Absolutely loved it. I bought copies for friends and family. Oops. I think I just gave the surprise away. Don't tell.
HAPPY READING! Amazon--Modern Magi
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The Lesson of Abundance—A Mom and 3 Kids in a Minivan and a Tied Fleece Blankets
As we drove down the block, my son fixated on the clump of miscellaneous clothing items heaped up against the tall oak tree at the edge of the park. I noticed two feet jetting out from underneath it.
“He’s a homeless man, Cody,” I said furrowing my brow. “So sad, isn’t it?” I pushed on the gas as we passed by.
Why was that man homeless? And why was he sleeping underneath a pile of clothes in the middle of the park? Those were the next obvious questions—ones that I couldn’t answer as easily as the first.
Turning west, we saw much of the same. To the left was a woman snoozing on a park bench with a large, overstuffed bag at her side, most likely full of every belonging she owned. To the right was a man waving his hands over his ears, talking frantically to himself.
My kids asked, “Is he alright?”
Whether or not he was on drugs or just suffering from mental illness, I couldn’t tell. But what I did know was that he had nowhere else to go. Like the others, he was homeless.
I explained to my kids that at least a few of these people would stay the night at the local shelter. They’d get a sack lunch, and a place to warm up before heading back out into the city to find shelter under a tree or in an alley. That’s what homelessness was.
Spying a slide and monkey bars on the west side of the park, my four-year-old begged, “Can we go play?”
“Oh, no. That’s a not a park we play in,” I replied. She was puzzled. A four-year-old wouldn’t understand why playing in the park wasn’t a good idea. It’s a park, isn’t it? But despite a new jogging trail and other recent renovations, it was still a hangout for our city’s indigent population. Not a park where young children can just play.
The park was one block away from the homeless shelter. That’s where we were headed. We had spent the morning tying fleece blankets at a nearby drug treatment center as a service project. The women at the treatment center had helped tie a couple of blankets and it was my job to deliver them to the shelter. I glanced over at the red and green fleece sitting in a bag in the passenger seat. Thanks to the women in my class, they had fringed and perfectly knotted the edges of two fleece blankets. It only took them about 20 minutes.
A few blankets? I thought to myself spying at the strangers in the park. In the big scheme of things, a couple of blankets seemed so insignificant. I pushed on my breaks as the van slowly turned the corner. A leaf danced across my windshield, a tell-tale sign that winter was on its way. My bones chilled as I counted the number of bodies lying on the ground in the park. Homeless individuals with nowhere to go.
“How can you not have a home?” my son asked again and again.
My explanations seemed futile. Losing a job, mental illness, and addiction were some of the answers I quickly gave him. Even his older sister piped in a time or two to educate her brother about the possibilities of why someone ends up homeless, lying under some overpass, sleeping in a flimsy cardboard box, or sleeping under a tree in a city park. His curiosity curbed for the moment.
Just then a man carrying a green duffle bag strapped to his back, appeared on the corner across the street from where we were. Sydney piped up, “Look, that man is limping. Let’s give him one of the blankets, Mom. Can we?”
I wasn’t expecting that.
“Well, I guess we can,” I said becoming suddenly aware of what I had just committed to. Give a blanket to a homeless person in person? I had never done that before. Always, I had delivered the blankets to the shelter. But I had never just gone to the park, gotten out of my car, and handed some homeless person a blanket. And why not? Because that park intimidated me.
“You’re going to lose him, Mom!” said my daughter as I came to a stop at the red light.
My heart pounded in my chest. The shelter was just a block away and dropping off blankets there seemed so much easier, and to be honest, safer.
“Mom, hurry!” my son begged as the man stepped out into the crowded crosswalk. He seemed so unsure of himself. Alone in a sea of suits, cell-phones, and BlackBerrys. His pack was heavy on his back. He limped hunched over, staring mostly at the ground. Hearing the voices of my children begging me to give him one of our blankets, I knew I couldn’t just drive past him. I had to give him one. So, at their coaxing, I turned on my blinker, changed lanes, and made a quick u-turn heading back towards the man. He had stopped to pull a rumpled newspaper out of a garbage can near the curb. I slowly approached the curb, put the van in park, and rolled down the passenger side window.
“Sir?” I said looking out across from the driver’s seat. “Sir,” I called again. “Would you like a hamburger?” I held up the Burger King double cheeseburger that my four-year-old didn’t eat. He didn’t respond. I didn’t know if he was ignoring me on purpose or if he couldn’t hear me, so I tried again.
“Sir, we have a burger and blanket for you.”
I then motioned for my daughter to hand him the blanket from her side of the car. He glanced up at me. It took him a moment to figure out what we were doing. But he finally reached out and took the burger and the blanket from my daughter. He placed the burger in his right coat pocket and tucked the blanket under his left arm.
“It’s gonna get cold so we hope this blanket helps,” I said with a cheery grin.
A toothless smile appeared on the man’s face.
“Merry Christmas!” he said.
“Merry Christmas.” We said back. We watched him fold up the newspaper and look around. I wondered what he was thinking. I checked my rear view mirror, pulled out into the street, and headed for the freeway. I decided to save the other blanket for another day. A day when we found another stranger to give it to.
For about a block, I watched the man in my rear view mirror until his image faded into the crowd.
“You did a good thing, kids,” I said. We were all quiet. In my mind I was thinking if only we could have done more.
Twenty-five minutes later, we arrived home. Pulling into the driveway of my three-story house, I was reminded of abundance. We live an abundant life. We have a house. We have food in our pantry. We have clothes in our closets. We have electricity, running water, and feather-down comforters on soft mattresses. We have friends and family members with whom we associate every day of the week, who would help us if ever we were in need. Even on Sunday, we attend meetings at a cozy church building and we’re surrounded by kind and generous people who smile at us, who are there for us. We have abundance.
I secretly wished and prayed that that man we gave the blanket to could feel for just one second what I felt. That he could know what abundance is.
Later that night, I was reading in Emily Freeman’s book, “The Promise of Enough.” On page 67, I read: “Our ability to remember gratitude for even the smallest blessing has a direct influence on our ability to live the abundant life. Perhaps we could echo the prayer of George Herbert who said, ‘Thou that hast giv’n so much to me, give me one thing more, a grateful heart.’”
It hit me. As I pondered on this quote and how it related to the experience my children and I had had giving a homeless man a blanket earlier in the day, I was reminded of something—the man’s smile. It was a grateful smile. Today, that man had indeed lived the abundant life. Not because we had given him a blanket and sandwich. But because he was grateful. He had humbly showed gratitude for a small, and meager offering from a mom and three kids in a mini-van. Abundance. On this day, the man with the army-green duffle bag had abundance.
So, tonight, as I think of that man lying in some alley chilled by snowflakes falling from the night sky, I picture him wrapped up in a red and green plaid, hand-tied fleece blanket and I feel very blessed for all I have been given. Gratitude blesses us with abundance. It turns what we have into enough and more. Thank you, homeless stranger. Thank you for teaching me about the power of gratitude and the true meaning of abundance. May God watch over you and keep you safe from harm.
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