We know the health benefits of gratitude, so we focus on giving thanks—particularly during this month of the year. But every year, it’s a good practice to redefine and choose again those special things we are grateful for. This is my current list for this week: Hot Water. As I have watched the horrors of …
In the past, my birthday month has been the time to celebrate the passing of another year — sometimes with gratitude and sometimes with dread. The aging process is indeed, a consideration. Sometimes I have saved for a special treat or bought a new outfit. One year, I treated myself to a mani/pedi. Another year, …
During this turbulent year of so many worldwide problems, I still do my usual thank you’s: Thank you, God, for the food in my belly. So many people are hungry today. Thank you for the roof over my head. Many are homeless or displaced. Thank you for my son and daughter-in-love … always. Yet now, …
The following post is an excerpt from the book Just for Today: Hope for Single Moms. I do believe, however, that it is appropriate for all my followers — no matter what your marital status. God shows how much he cares for us when he declares himself as being both Creator and Husband. The One …
A recent exercise in our Saturday Sisters group resulted in an a-ha moment. We were given a sheet of paper and asked to list our treasures. This exercise was a different thought process than just listing what we’re grateful for. We all know how to answer several ways to say, “Thank you.” But this was …
As I entered one of the big box stores, I knew time was fleeting. The local government officials had just closed all the restaurants. All major events canceled. How much longer would it be possible to buy food and necessary items? The Coronavirus jack-knifed us into what felt like a pre-apocalyptic world. Empty shelves. Shoppers …
During this Thanksgiving season, I am grateful for sensory perceptions. Writers are encouraged to include the five senses in our manuscripts, and most of us do a good job with sight and hearing. But it’s a little harder to add touch, taste and smell without sounding contrived. Even so, this year I am most grateful …
During the month of November, I want to focus on special gratitudes. Makes sense, right? During Thanksgiving month we should be grateful. But this year, I want to dig a bit deeper than the usual, “Thank you for health, for food, for the roof over my head.” This year, the focus is a series of …
Sometimes it takes only one change to find hope. One of my friends made one change in her diet. She stopped drinking soda and lost ten pounds. One change gave her a healthier body. For writers, if we change one thing in the narrative, we can affect the entire story. For example, if the Wizard …
The colorful lights, packages wrapped with beautiful bows, Santa’s lap filled with happy children, the music of the season: all these joys spell Christmas. But what if we’re smack in the middle of grief this December? What if some of the joy is colored by sadness? How do we find hope when we so desperately …