The Right Side of the Bed Makes a Difference

Good Morning, Sunshine! That's what I said to these beautiful skies on my walk yesterday! I wonder if that's what we hear God say back to us when we roll out of bed each morning? Do we hit the ground running, with spring in our step and gladness in our heart? Are we a ray of sunshine to all who see us – no matter what time of day it is?

I’ve been this waking-up-and-smell-the-roses kind-of-gal for a long time now. I make it a point to be a ray of sunshine when I get up in the morning. I spoke this girl into existence. I was always an early-riser, but not with that sunny disposition. But, I became her. Most of the time, I start my day in a state of joy and gratitude. I love the idea of a new day with all the potential of God-moments and opportunities that await me. And, now that I’m on this 6 am walk-a-thon each morning, I’ve come to appreciate it even more so.

I’ve enjoyed watching Michael Bublé and his adorable Argentina wife, Luisana, on their Facebook Live videos during quarantine. I don’t look for them but they pop up automatically on my scrolls. Happy, positive, adoring each other – and even more so after their 4-year-old son, Noah, recovered from liver cancer and is now thriving. I said it a few days ago, but this applies to them as well “What didn’t kill them, made them stronger!” I didn’t realize it until a few days ago, that they met in 2009 on the set of his music video “I Never Met You Yet!” She was the girl – that he did meet and married. I especially appreciated when Michael emotionally praised Jesus for his boy's cancer remission during an appearance on James Corden’s show.

I took a rabbit trail. I was getting to one of my favorite Michael Buble's songs: “It’s a new dawn; It’s a new day; It’s a new life, for me, and I’m feeling good!” But, I've heard many people say: "I'm not a morning person so don't talk to me until I've had my coffee!" When I hear someone talk like that, I think "Pleassse -- don't say that! With God's help and your determination, you can be a morning, afternoon AND night person!"

If I got up in a MOOD, my Mama would say: "You got up on the wrong side of the bed. Go get back in, please, and get up on the right side!" My Mama didn't take too well to grumpiness (and believe me, she had plenty to be grumpy about). She taught me to bring sunshine to our mornings. The fact is, if our family and friends have to deal with our grumpiness just because we got up, it could dampen their "sunshine" spirit. God loves "morning" people, so that's reason enough to become a "morning" person. Listen to His Word here:

~ "Because of the LORD’s great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are NEW EVERY MORNING; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23
~ "I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me." - Proverbs 8:17.

God promises us His great love, unfailing compassion and mercies that are new every morning. So, whether we are a morning songbird getting up at 6, 8 or 10, or a night owl, the point is that every day is a brand new day with God so why not get up by looking UP? We say: "Good-bye yesterday to its worries and fears" and say "Good Morning, Sunshine! It's gonna' be a GREAT day!"

What Difference Does a Hamburger Make?

My oncology nurse friend is all about bringing sunshine into the world. What a joy it must be for her patients who face a riveting cancer diagnosis. Her bright light intersects their darkness with hope. In addition to her nursing job, she is also a volunteer at a charitable organization that is truly a "back-up resource" for families who have a loved one dealing with cancer, and if that's not enough.....she goes to hospice facilities to cheer up the families and their loved ones. I couldn't resist sharing the following story with you. It touched me so much.

Jodi was headed to a hospice facility to visit a patient there. As she approached the facility, a 93-year-old man was sitting on the porch. She greeted him with “How are you doing today?” He responded, "Good -- and I'm working on the pretty!" She remarked that he was a delight and just had to sit down and visit with him a while. They carried on a long conversation and he mentioned “I’d love a hamburger.” She didn’t hesitate to say: “I’ll be right back” and went to get that burger for him. There wasn't a question about whether it was good for him or not -- she knew her attention to him WAS good for him. She came back with the hamburger and a strawberry shake. The dear man had a chair pulled up right next to him for Jodi to sit by him. Jodi said he ate every bite and drank all the shake. She spent over two hours with him. Jodi was beaming as she told me this story. The dear man passed away a few days later.

What makes someone go the extra mile to bring a ray of sunshine into someone's life? Especially when that someone is close to leaving this world anyway. What difference does it make? Here's the difference: Jodi was serving a sweet man that was getting ready to leave this world. I told her she was his midwife -- giving him a sweet, comfortable and beautiful time as he was transitioning to "going home". But, more than the sacrifice of her time for this sweet man, this was about Jodi. She was so grateful for those two hours.

Helping others makes us see what we have.....and makes us even more grateful for it. Helping others makes us happy. There is so much joy in giving. She was grateful. When we help others, it makes us see what we have and makes us more thankful for it. Jodi's acts of kindness are seed planting times. She is already enjoying the harvest of her acts as she experiences such overflowing joy and happiness. “Give….and it shall be given back to you!” Luke 6:38

What difference does it make? Maybe our solution to complacency, boredom, loneliness and sadness is to find some-one or some-place where we can make a difference in someone's life today. It just might be the last act of kindness they will receive, but it will be an act of kindness that will change us FOREVER.

Good Morning, Sunshine!

Is that you that we're talking to? Are you a ray of sunshine when you get up in the morning? I make it a point to be, and for those not-so-sunshiny folks, I can be quite annoying with my sunny disposition. The fact is, I don't need an alarm clock -- mine is built-in -- usually, right on time between 6:30 am and 7:00 am. I get up, get my thermal mug of coffee, post my morning blog and FB message, and enjoy a few precious quiet moments at the beginning of the day before the phone starts ringing and my daily routine and responsibilities begin. I taught myself to be this way. It was a decision I made years ago, and it has sure paid off for me.

Most of the time, I start my day in a state of joy and gratitude. I love the feel of a new day, with all the potential of new opportunities and moments to enjoy. Michael Buble sings this song so well: “It’s a new dawn; It’s a new day; It’s a new life, for me, and I’m feeling good!”

It astounds me that people say: "I am not a morning person so don't talk to me until I've had a cup of coffee!" They imply "I'll be in a bad mood until I get my coffee!" Okay, so I'm big on being positive and optimistic, and when I hear someone say that, I think "And, they are getting what they are saying. They will never be a morning person as long as they keep saying that!" If I woke up in a MOOD, my Mama would say: "You got up on the wrong side of the bed. Go get back in, please, and get up on the right side!" My Mama didn't take too well to crankiness and grumpiness (and believe me, she had plenty to be cranky and grumpy about) so she taught me to bring sunshine to our mornings. The fact is, if our family and friends have to deal with our crankiness and grumpiness, just because we had to get up -- it has the potential to dampen even morning persons' spirits.
God loves "morning" people, so that's reason enough to become a "morning" person. Listen to His Word here:

~ "Because of the LORD’s great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are NEW EVERY MORNING; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

~ "I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me." - Proverbs 8:17

God promises that His great love for us and unfailing compassion (and mercies) are new every morning. So, whether we are a morning songbird getting up at 6, 8 or 10, or a night owl, the point is that everyday is a brand new day with God and joy and gratitude should be our reason for getting up. So, say: "Good-bye YESTERDAY, with all the mistakes and worries and fears, and say "GOOD MORNING, Sunshine! It's gonna' be a GREAT day!"

Good Morning, Sunshine!

Is that you that we're talking to? Are you a ray of sunshine when you get up in the morning? I make it a point to be. I don't need an alarm clock -- mine is built-in -- usually, right on time between 6:00 am and 6:30 am. I get up, get my thermal mug of coffee, post my morning blog and FB message, and enjoy a few precious quiet moments at the beginning of the day before the phone starts ringing and my daily routine and responsibilities begin. I taught myself to be this way.

Most of the time, I start my day in a state of joy and gratitude. I love the feel of a new day, with all the potential of new opportunities and moments to enjoy. Michael Buble sings this song so well: “It’s a new dawn; It’s a new day; It’s a new life, for me, and I’m feeling good!”

It astounds me that people say: "I am not a morning person so don't talk to me until I've had a cup of coffee!" They imply "I'll be in a bad mood until I get my coffee!" Okay, so I'm big on being positive and optimistic, and when I hear someone say that, I think "And, they are getting what they are saying. They will never be a morning person as long as they keep saying that!" If I got up in a MOOD, my Mama would say: "You got up on the wrong side of the bed. Go get back in, please, and get up on the right side!" My Mama didn't take too well to crankiness and grumpiness (and believe me, she had plenty to be cranky and grumpy about) so she taught me to bring sunshine to our mornings. The fact is, if our family and friends have to deal with our crankiness and grumpiness, just because we had to get up -- it has the potential to dampen even morning persons' spirits.

God loves "morning" people, so that's reason enough to become a "morning" person. Listen to His word here:

~ "Because of the LORD’s great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are NEW EVERY MORNING; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

~ "I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me." - Proverbs 8:17.

God promises that His great love for us and unfailing compassion (and mercies) are new every morning. So, whether we are a morning songbird getting up at 6, 8 or 10, or a night owl, the point is that everyday is a brand new day with God and joy and gratitude should be our reason for getting up. So, say: "Good-bye YESTERDAY, with all the mistakes and worries and fears, and say "GOOD MORNING, Sunshine! It's gonna' be a GREAT day!"

Do You Have SPRING in Your Steps?

Did you ever hear that phrase? It means that we're walking with a bit of a bounce in our steps, implying that we're in a good mood or something good has just happened to us. Think of a coiled piece of metal that pushes back when it’s pressed upon, like the springs in our mattress or the springs on a trampoline. Ever been weighted down with a heavy situation, and suddenly good news came, and you felt light as a feather. You were pressed down and weighted down, then suddenly you had SPRING IN YOUR STEPS!

This time of year helps with adding Spring to our steps and we get a fresh new perspective on life. On Thursday, I had 14 of the most amazing “single” women (single, divorced, widows) over for a Spring Dinner Party. I had a great time preparing for it to make it a special night for these women who are so gracious in volunteering, being so joyful and full of life in our community. One of the games we played was “Who Am I?” I had asked them to email me the answers to these questions: 1) What do you love about Spring? 2) What is your favorite flower and why? 3) Tell us something we don’t know about you. It was such a great way to get to know each other better as I read off the answers from each lady, and they tried to guess who that person was. They had trouble with my response to “Tell us something we don’t know about you”, and I answered “Something you don’t know about me is I helped deliver a baby calf that got stuck. I vaccinated baby calves, put plugs in Mama cows utters because they were stuck, and castrated the bulls.” LOL! I'll bet you didn't know that about me either, did you?

I loved the answers the women gave about what they love about Spring: "It marks a new beginning; I love to see the flowers blooming; I love that it brings Easter and celebration that Christ lives; I love getting to wear flip flops and lighter clothes; All of nature is renewed and it reminds me all the more of God's great love; It smells so good and the birds are so happy; Daylight savings time; Everything starts to come alive; Our world gets filled with color." Now, isn't all that reason enough to have SPRING in our steps?

Spring in our steps brings a breath of fresh air to those we meet and come in contact with. We have the reasons for joy and life and it should exude from us. We should be like a ray of sunshine because we have good news of a great and mighty God to share. We have some wonderful things in our lives that make us different and because of it, we should have that extra bounce to our walk. Like the birds that come singing in the Spring, we should be singing songs of praise and thanksgiving with a "Spring in our Step" everyday! With each step, we should have a smile on our face and love in hearts! After all, WE KNOW the CREATOR of Springtime. He is our Maker and He made us with "built-in" springs that can cause us to always rebound with God’s peace, joy and love each and every day!

Good and I'm Working on the Pretty

Day 229 of Photo Inspirations -- Good and I'm Working on the Pretty!
A sweet friend of mine, who is an oncology nurse, is all about bringing sunshine into the world.  Not only does she work at her nursing job, but she volunteers as an usher at her church, she is a volunteer at a charitable organization that is truly a "back-up resource" for families who have a loved one dealing with cancer, and if that's not enough.....she goes to hospice facilities to cheer up the families and their loved ones.  I couldn't resist sharing the following story with you.  It touched me so much.

Jodi was visiting hospice facility a few weeks ago.  A 93 year old man was sitting on the porch and she greeted him as she walked up.  She said, "How are you doing?" He said, "Good -- and I'm working on the Pretty!"   She said he was a delight.  She sat down with him and carried on conversation.  Eventually he said he was hungry and would love a hamburger. She told him she'd go get him one.  (There wasn't a question about whether it was good for him or not -- she knew her attention to him WAS good for him.)  She came back with the hamburger and a strawberry shake and the dear man had a chair pulled up right next to him for Jodi to sit by him.  Jodi said he ate every bite and drank all the shake and spent over two hours with him.  Jodi was beaming as she told me this story.  The sweet man passed away a few days later.

What makes someone go the extra mile to bring a ray of sunshine into someone's life?  Especially when that someone is close to leaving this world anyway.  What difference does it make?  Here's the difference:  Jodi was serving a sweet man that was getting ready to leave this world.  I told her she was his midwife -- giving him a sweet, comfortable and beautiful time as he was transitioning to "going home".  But, more than the sacrifice of her time for this sweet man, this was about Jodi.  She was so grateful for these two hours.  Helping others makes us see what we have.....and makes us even more grateful for it.  Helping others makes us happy.  There is so much joy in giving.  She was grateful: when you help others it makes you see what you have and makes you more thankful for it  Jodi's acts of kindness are seed planting times.  She is already enjoying the harvest of her acts as she experiences such overflowing joy and happiness.

What difference does it make?  Maybe the solution to complacency, boredom, loneliness and sadness is to find some-one or some-place where we can make a difference in someone's life today.  It just might be the last act of kindness they will receive, but it will be an act of kindness that will change us FOREVER.