Thirty Days of Thanksgiving – Day 19

Day 19. The Letter S.  Today I’m thankful for my son Scott. He came twenty-four tension-filled minutes after his twin brother, Brett. Their differences were apparent from the beginning, being fraternal for one thing, but I’m amazed at how early in each of our boys’ lives their personalities became evident. Scott has always—ALWAYS—been a competitor and understood the concept of …

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving – Day 15

Day 15. The Letter O for Opportunity. As Thanksgiving Day draws near, I’m glad that I’ve set aside a few minutes each day to reflect on specific people and things for which I’m grateful. To be honest, I don’t always feel like doing it. I have a lot of projects going on; I made a trip in the early part …

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving – Day Seven

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Are grandkids the best thing since the hula hoop or what? And what a sense of humor God has! He gave us four sons, then bam! Five grandsons! Ha. Ha. I’ve loved them everyone in turn. Perfection in miniature! Then, finally . . . FINALLY . . . a grandgirl! …

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving – Day Four

Day 4. The Letter D.  The annual picture of Daddy and “the girls” “In the game of pitch, you can shoot the moon with only an ace and a deuce – providing it’s the first hand of a new game.” This is the kind of wisdom I learned from Daddy – the object of today’s thirty days of gratitude. Home-spun …

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving – Day Two

Day Two. The letter B.  Brett, happy at sea As fate would have it, on the second day of thankfulness, our second-born son’s name appears in the alphabet. Brett. He’s one-half of a matched set – twins born nineteen months after our first son. Can you say harried mom? Scott, his other half will have to wait until his turn …

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving – Day One

Today I’m starting something new here at the Cafe – Thirty days of being thankful. If you’re anything like me, you’re thankful every day for God’s gifts and His blessings. Mine tend to be generic more often than not, so as I’ve seen others do, I’m devoting November – the month of Thanksgiving – to being intentionally thankful every day. …

>Faith-Hope-Love Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award Finalists for 2011

>FROM THE FAITH, HOPE, & LOVE WEBSITE:  On behalf of the IRCA Contest coordinator, Nancy J. Farrier,we are pleased to announce the 2011 IRCA Finalists Long Contemporary Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes (Tyndale)The Six-Liter Club by Harry Kraus (Howard)Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio by Serena Miller (Summerside) Short Contemporary Tender Mercies by Mary Manners (White Rose)White Roses by Shannon …

>SALUTE TO OUR VETERANS AND TROOPS

> My dad (2nd from right) during the 1930s My dad grew up in Oklahoma during the Great Depression, the second of six children. Raised on a farm, he has talked about doing without and once marveled at how his mother could feed a family of eight with only one can of salmon. He was too young to enter WWII, …

>The Art of Appreciation

>Today I received what I believe is my first fan letter (email) from a complete stranger. Yes, I’ve received many lovely notes from people I know – childhood friends, writing friends, friends of friends. Indeed, it is more than my heart can hold sometimes when I receive a sweet message, a surprise review, or a shout out on Twitter of …