Let’s celebrate 14 Days of Love as we approach Valentine’s Day with ‘love’ verses from the Bible.

DAY 1:  Today’s verse was shared by my dear friend, Maggie.

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.   – 1 John 3:18

Maggie also shared a note she’s written in her Bible that says, “Love is a verb…not a noun.”

Let’s think about this Bible verse and challenge ourselves to genuinely show our love to others by the way we treat them and the things we do.

What if you couldn’t tell people you loved them?  Would they know by your actions?

Thanks for sharing today’s ‘love’ verse, Maggie!  What a great way to start 14 Days of Love!

If you would like to share your favorite ‘love’ verse from the Bible, please send it to my email address:  ReneeMyers@carolina.rr.com

Please indicate if it’s ok to share your verse on this blog site and if it’s ok to include your first name.

The Bible says there is a season for everything under heaven…and also a purpose.  Bring to mind the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” from the Byrds?  That song was written as an adaptation of scripture found in Chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven…He has made everything beautiful in its time…for there is a time for every purpose and work.     ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-17

We go through ‘seasons’ in life, too.  We have seasons when things are going well, seasons of growth and seasons of joy.  We also have seasons when we feel we’re in a winter stage of darkness, difficulty, and sometimes even dormancy, when things seem cold and bleak.   Remember that it’s during the winter seasons of our lives that God can work within us to help our roots of faith grow deeper and stronger!  He allows us to have these seasons so that later we’ll be able to flourish and grow, and when the inevitable storms of life come blowing through, we might bend and sway, but we won’t break.

Knowing that God has a purpose for the times and seasons of life – especially the hard times, encourages me and gives me hope as I trust in Him.  I hope the same is true for you.

On the cold, chilling days of winter, remember that God is at work doing unseen things that will bring bring forth great and wondrous things in His perfect timing – just like the colors and joys of Spring!

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.  He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”      – Jeremiah 17:7-8

For a beautiful visual presentation of the verses in Ecclesiastes 3, go to YouTube video:    ”Turn! Turn! Turn! Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 MV”

May God bless you and warm your heart, even on the coldest of days. 

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I have a friend who is struggling emotionally.  I prayed for her and feel she needs an apology from a person in her life who has caused a lot of pain for her and her family.

An apology won’t change the current situation, but it WILL change the emotional state my friend is in and most likely help her to cope better. If she is hurt and feels terribly wronged by someone else, then she needs to hear the other person say, “I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused,” or “I’m sorry things are so difficult for you,” or simply, “I’m sorry you’re hurting.”  An apology from the one who has hurt her might even be the start of healing for their broken relationship.

In the verse above, Jesus tells us that apologizing and reconciling with others is so important that we need to stop what we’re doing and apologize to others right away.  We’re not even to make an offering to God if there is someone who has something against us.

An apology doesn’t have to admit fault or guilt.  It just needs to acknowledge the other person’s feelings…whether the one apologizing agrees with those feelings or not.

Apologizing isn’t about winning or losing an argument.  It’s about showing respect for the other person and what they’re feeling.

I remember a situation between a mother and daughter.  The adult daughter felt wronged by past treatment from her mother.  The mother knew her daughter was upset, but didn’t understand why. The daughter just needed her mother to say she was sorry for the daughter’s pain, but the mother wouldn’t do so because she didn’t agree with her daughter’s feelings, and the mother didn’t want to ‘admit’ to something she didn’t feel she’d done.  Apologies aren’t about that, though!

Apologies aren’t about settling who’s right or wrong, or who’s at fault.  An apology is just saying you’re sorry for the pain, struggle, or whatever the other person is feeling, and often this simple gesture of caring can make a huge difference!

Sometimes it’s hard to go to someone I know is upset and tell them I’m sorry.  I fear the possibility of their angry response.  Sometimes my apology means admitting guilt, and that’s really hard to do!  Sometimes my pride makes it hard to humble myself and offer an apology.  You know what I’ve found helps in each of these situations?  Apologizing to God first.  Two things happen.  1) I know I’ve gone before the Lord, confessed, and that through Christ I’m forgiven…relief!  2) Once I’ve apologized and admitted my faults to God, it’s much easier to do so with the other person.  If the other person gets upset or doesn’t want to forgive, I feel badly about that, but at least I know I’m in right standing with God.  Continue taking the situation to God , and He’ll help each of you work through your situation.

When it comes to apologies, it’s just as important to receive as it is to give.

When someone does apologize, it’s important to graciously receive their apology!  So many times I’ve seen people work up the courage to say they’re sorry to someone who is upset, angry, or hurt, and the other person refuses the apology or says it’s not enough!  Sometimes they even respond angrily with criticisms or lectures.  Whoa!  That’s not right!

Perhaps the other person feels that if they accept the apology, then they’re letting the other person off the proverbial ‘hook’.  Sometimes it can lead to that, but not always.  Accepting an apology means offering forgiveness to the one who apologized, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the situation is resolved and done with.  There still might be consequences that need to follow, but there won’t be a grudge to go along with the consequences.

Forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting, but it does mean letting go  of hard feelings go so that both parties can move on.

Sometimes we are stubborn and don’t want to forgive because we’re holding onto our anger or unhappiness as a way of punishing the other person, but you know what?  Your feelings aren’t hurting the other person at all.  They’re hurting you!  Sometimes the other person doesn’t even know you’re hurting, angry or upset!  Holding on to negative feelings eats away at us inside, like a cancer of the soul.  Please don’t hold grudges or hold on to negative feelings.  Sometimes we have to offer forgiveness to someone who hasn’t even asked for it.  Yes, sometimes we have to prayerfully go to God and tell Him we forgive, even if no one has asked for our forgiveness.  Christ asked for forgiveness for those who crucified Him as he was being crucified.   And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

In the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He said, Forgive us our debts/trespasses (sins) as we forgive our debtors/those who have trespassed (sinned) against us.  (Matthew 6:12)

Jesus went on to say, For if you forgive others their trespasses (sins, wrongdoings), your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.  (Matthew 6

There is power in apology, indeed.  Lord Jesus, we thank You for that.  Please help us live by Your example, graciously giving and receiving apologies when needed.  Amen.

Some Bible verses referenced friendships that were loving, helpful, and loyal.  Others addressed lying, cheating, and betrayal.  The latter are definitely examples of bad friendships, but what are ‘inappropriate’ friendships?

According to Webster’s dictionary, ‘inappropriate’ means not appropriate, not suitable or fitting, improper.  Simply put, an inappropriate friendship is an improper friendship.

Examples that come to mind…

• friendships that interfere with marriage
• friendships that interfere with parental/family relationships
• friendships that disrupt previous ‘good’ relationships with friends
• friendships that cause us to behave in appropriate ways
• friendships that don’t respect or value the good things about you
• friendships that hold you back
• friendships that are one-way, when one person only takes, never gives
• friendships that are a constant source of discouragement
• friendships that enable another person’s unhealthy or distructive behavior
• friendships based on lies, dishonesty
• friendships that cause physical, verbal, emotional or mental abuse
• FRIENDSHIPS THAT HOLD YOU BACK FROM GOD

These friendships can be with boyfriends or girlfriends, best friends or casual friends, old friends and new friends, co-workers, and even family members (mother, father, brother, sister, cousin, etc.).

A married person having too friendly of a  ’friendship’ with someone of the opposite sex at work, on facebook, or even at church is inappropriate.  The Bible tells us we don’t have to actually commit a physical act for a relationship to be adulterous.  If we even lust in our hearts for someone other than our spouse, then we are having adulterous thoughts that are just as bad and can cause just as much damage.

A person’s best friend might be a great person, but if that friendship is interfering with one’s marriage, family, or other important relationships, then it’s ‘inappropriate’ and needs to be pursued in a different way.

Friendships that encourage you to take part in behavior you know is wrong are definitely inappropriate!

Friendships that discourage you from pursing your hopes, goals and dreams are inapproriate.  A true friend will be happy for you, encourage you, support you, and celebrate the good things about you.

Friendships that enable you to pursue unhealthy or destructive behaviors are not only inappropriate, but also dangerous for you.  Examples of these behaviors…overeating, having too much alcohol, taking drugs, smoking, or  other addictive behaviors.

Any relationship that causes any kind of abuse is inappropriate and dangerous.  Get out of these relationships immediately and seek help, if needed.

The last example listed above mentions friendships that keep you from God.  This might mean that another person verbally discourages a right relationship with God, but separation from God also happens when we sin.  Guilt from sin can separate us from God.  God is not separating Himself from us.  In our shame or attempt to cover up our actions, we pull back from Him.  Any relationship in which this is happening needs to be addressed right away.

Sometimes we have to end inappropriate relationships.  Other times we just need to address the problems, get right with God about them, and seek His guidance for pursuing those relationships in a healthy, appropriate way.  Doing so won’t just benefit us, but the other person as well!

If you feel you are in an inappropriate relationship, please turn to God, trust Him with your heart, and pray.  He will guide you.   Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowleget Him, and He will set your paths straight.  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Following are a few Bible verses that teach about friends/friendships taken  from the book of Proverbs:

The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray.  (12:26)

With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous. (11:9)

The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends.  (11:30)

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. (13:20)

A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.  (16:28)

Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. (17:9)

A friend is always loyal, and a brother (close friend, friend in Christ) is born to help in time of need. (17:17)     NIV version: A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (17:17)

There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. (18:24)

Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. (27:6)

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. (27:9)

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. (27:17)

Hopefully your friendships are good, healthy and ‘appropriate’.  If not, I hope and pray that you will let God guide you in your relationships.  Remember, that no matter what, God always loves you and calls you His friend, and His is the best friendship of all.

Your friend in Christ,

Renee

What are your hopes, aspirations, and plans for 2012?  I’m not one to make resolutions, but I do like to see the New Year as a time for a fresh start.  2011 is so last year now.  Let’s put it behind us and start the NEW YEAR by being reNEWed!

We might not be able to change some of the realities of our situations and the world around us, but we can change our circumstances by changing the way we see ourselves and our situations…by renewing our minds, our thoughts, attitudes and perspectives.

• Let’s renew our minds so that we have hope for 2012!
• Let’s renew our hearts and give thanks for all that we do have instead of focusing on what we don’t have!
• Let’s renew our spirit and make the most of what we can do, instead of being limited by what we think we can’t do!
• Let’s renew our souls allow God to make all things possible!

This kind of renewal can only be found in Christ.  Sure, I can be hopeful, thankful and positive on my own; but to truly be renewed I must go to God in prayer and seek transformation through Christ, my Lord and Savior.  Following are Bible verses you can claim in prayer and keep handy for encouragement.  I’m also sharing the prayer led by our Senior Pastor, Terry Moore, in church on Sunday, Jan 1, 2012, seeking renewal of personal covenant with God.

Seek first the Kingdom of God.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  -  Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

Allow yourself to be transformed.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.    – Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Give thanks and praise God.

Do you see what we’ve got?  An unshakable kingdom!  And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God.    – Hebrews 12:27  (MSG)

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.   – 1 Thessalonians 5:18  (NIV)

Make the most of what you can do.

I can do everything through Christ who , who gives me strength.  – Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

Open yourself up to the possibilities of what God can do!

…for with God, all things are possible.   – Mark 10:27

PRAYER FOR RENEWED COVENANT WITH GOD (Shared as printed in the church bulletin of Weddington United Methodist Church, Jan 1, 2012):

“Leader: In the old covenant, God chose Israel to be a special people and to obey the law.  Our Lord Jesus Christ, by His death and resurrection, has made a new covenant with all who trust in Him…Let us give ourselves completely to God, trusting in His promises and relying on His grace.

All:  I give myself completely to You, God.  Assign me to my place in your creation.  Let me suffer for You.  Give me the work you would have me do.  Give me many tasks or have me step aside while You call others.  Put me forward or humble me.  Give me riches or let me live in poverty.  I freely give all that I am and all that I have to You.  And now, holy God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, You are mine and I am Yours.  So be it.  May this covenant made on earth continue for all eternity.  Amen. ”

Dear friends,  May God bless you and keep you; and by His grace, may you be refreshed and renewed in the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  All glory be to God.  Amen.         New Year blessings to all!  - Renee

Then came the day after Thanksgiving when the mad dash to Christmas officially began, and I started new lists…a Christmas shopping list, Christmas to do lists, a list of things my kids wanted for Christmas, and things I might want for Christmas.  Quickly forgotten was the first list…the things for which I was thankful.

I was reminded of my ‘thankful’ list the next week in church when our praise and worship leader, Rob Jackson, talked about how in America we give thanks one day, then the next we’re going crazy in stores trying to buy all we can.

Hmmm… Looking back I recalled that my thankful list reflected on love of God, family, home and friends.  My Christmas list was all about material things.  If I had so much for which to be thankful, then why were these material things such a big deal?

Is Christmas about the stuff?  Or about love?  About God?  That’s a choice each person must make for him/herself.

As mentioned in my previous post, our Senior Pastor, Terry Moore, said that giving is a part of loving.  When we love, we want to give.  Yes, I get caught up in all the fervor of the season, but it’s because of love!  I love Christmas.  I love the people in my life.  Most importantly, I love Jesus.  Because of those loves, I want to celebrate the season!  I want to give to show my love!

It might make me crazy at times, but that’s why it’s important to me to decorate the house, find the right gifts, make Christmas goodies, and do all the things that are on my lists.  I want to share the joy of the season with those I love!

Looking at my lists through the lens of love, I realize that maybe my Thanksgiving list and my Christmas lists aren’t so different after all.  Each list was written out of love for others and love for God.  As long as I keep Christ in CHRISTmas, and remember that He is the true reason for the season, then Christmas will be about all the truly matters.

Merry CHRISTmas!  May the love and joy of Christ be the gift that keeps on giving. 

We had just celebrated Christmas at the meeting, so how wonderful it was to  see such a visual reminder of the Christ Child!  As I gazed up at that cross, the following Bible verse came to me:

His banner over me was love.   – Song of Solomon 2:4 (KJ)

 Yes, indeed.  That cross was spread out like a banner of love across the sky.

Then words came to me from the sermon last Sunday, given by our Senior Pastor, Terry Moore:

For God so loved, that He gave.

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.

- John 3:16 (NLT)

For God so loved that He gave, and His gift was Love.  A symbol of that love was stretched out overhead.

Another Bible verse came to mind.

Love covers all sins.  – Proverbs 10:12

God’s love, Christ’s love, both cover me, and their love covers all my sins.  I am forgiven.

The verse came to me again.

Love covers all sins.  – Proverbs 10:12

 Their love covers all sins, not just all my sins, but ALL sins…everyone’s sins!  Jesus’ love is for everyone, and everyone who comes to Christ is forgiven!

I’m to forgive others, too.   In Christ, my love should be enough to forgive others.

And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

- Matthew 6:12

Oh, Lord Jesus, what an amazing sight that cross was up in the sky!  Thank You for being a banner of love over us.  Thank You for being God’s gift of love, and for being Love itself.  I give thanks that Your love covers our sins, and that through You we are not only forgiven and freed, we are also given eternal life with You in the glorious place we know as heaven.   In honor of You, please help me to be about love this Christmas.  In Your holy name I pray.  Amen.

It’s that time of year again!  Time to arm yourself with loads of candy canes and become a Candy Cane Crusader for Christ!

A Candy Cane Crusader for Christ is someone who gives out candy canes and cheerfully says, “Merry Christmas!”

I started this when I learned that many retail stores, restaurants, and business establishments were forbidding their employees to say, “Merry Christmas”.  I was appalled!   Since then, some businesses have gone even farther by omitting the word ‘Christmas’ from their ads and displays.  For instance, they advertise Christmas trees, but call them ‘holiday trees’.  What?!  Christmas is what it’s all about!  They can’t take Christ out of Christmas!

“Well,” I thought, “they can’t say Merry Christmas to me, but I can say it to them!”  That’s when I became a Candy Cane Crusader for Christ!   I started handing out candy canes and saying, “Merry Christmas!”   The candy cane symbolizes Jesus Christ, so when I share a candy cane, I’m sharing Jesus, too.

For five years now I’ve been keeping a stash of mini candy canes in my purse.  I give out as many I can throughout the day to those I encounter.  Often I attach a mini copy of the Legend of the Candy Cane.  Want to put a smile on the face of a teenager at the drive-up window? Give him/her a candy cane and say, “Merry Christmas!”  Better yet, give that person a whole handful and tell him/her to share them with the rest of their crew!   Cheer up grumpy shoppers and fussy chidren, reward kids you catch being good, and hand them out to your new ‘friends’ as you wait in lines. It always makes people smile, and sometimes it’s just what someones needs as a little ‘pick me up’. We keep candy canes in our newspaper box with a note telling passers by to help themselves.  I attach the Legend of the Candy Cane poem about Jesus on those.

One year our family gave out over 1,000 candy canes!  Most were given to With Love from Jesus run by Joy McGuire.  She and her helpers took them with her when she ministered to homeless people and people in shelters on Christmas Eve.  She fed them cups of hot chili, give each person a gift, shared the Gospel with them, and passed out the candy canes!   Friends from church pitched in and we donated over 3,000 candy canes to Joy to use for her Christmas Eve ministries.

I pray over the candy canes before giving them away, asking God to use them as a blessing for others.  I also pray at the end of the day for those I met while sharing candy canes.

C’mon and join me!  Many others have!  Become a Candy Cane Crusader for Christ and start giving out candy canes, too!  Remember, when you do you’re not just keeping Christ in Christmas, you’re sharing Jesus with others, too!

Here’s the Candy Cane Poem about Jesus we attach to our candy canes.  I can also send you a ready-to-print page with multiple copies of the poem on one page.  Just send me an email request, and I’ll respond with the Candy Cane poem attachment.

Look at the Candy Cane,

What do you see?

Stripes that are red

Like the blood shed for me.

White is for my Savior,

Who is sinless and pure.

“J” is for Jesus, my Lord, that’s for sure!

Turn it around and a staff you will see,

Jesus my Shepherd was born for ME!

Please let me know if you become a Candy Cane Crusader for Christ, too!   You can reply to this post or send an email to ReneeMyers@carolina.rr.com

CHRISTmas blessings to all!

“Really, God? Are you sure about this?  I don’t think this is working for me.  After seeing the course requirements, I realize it could take 10 years for me to get this degree.  That’s crazy!  And I get so stressed over the assignments.  Is this how it’s going to be for the next 10 years…me constantly stressing and having anxiety? Not only that, but this stuff is hard!  It’s really stretching my brain!  And being back in school is a tough balancing act – managing family, home and school – not to mention other interests and activities.  Oh, yeah.  There’s no need to mention other activities and interests because since going back to school I haven’t had any.  I haven’t even had involvements at church and I miss my involvements.  That’s the whole reason I thought you wanted me to go to back to school, so that I could be better equipped to serve in ministry and to serve at church…but now I’m not involved in any ministries!”

A moment of mental silence.   Awareness of the street I was on reminded me of the thoughts God put in my head just a few days before while driving along this very street.   “Stay focused.  Keep your eyes on Me.  Don’t look to the left or to the right.  Work toward the goal”.  I didn’t know why I had those thoughts at the time.  Now I knew.  God was ahead of me on this.  Amazing!  “Thank You, God!”

Back to my thoughts…Words from Philippians 3:13-14 started coming to mind, “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”   “Thank You for those words, God.”

It was clear.  God didn’t want me to give up.  And to be honest, I didn’t really want to give up either. I was just feeling frustrated and discouraged.

New thoughts: “Despite the challenges, stress and anxiety, I LIKE being back in school again.  I like what I’m learning, and once assignments are completed, I feel good about what I’ve done, and more importantly, what I’ve learned.  When I talk about frustrations, Rex points out how they’ll help me one day.  One day…one day what, God?  What will this all lead to one day?”  No answer.  That’s ok.  I’d gotten what I needed – confirmation, affirmation, and redirection of thoughts.  Maybe this wasn’t such a one-sided conversation after all!

With renewed spirit and a positive attitude, I thought about the writing assignment waiting for me at home, and I had to chuckle – I was writing about Jonah, the guy who wanted to flee from his calling!

But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.  ~ 2 Chronicles 15:7

With that in mind, let’s build an A.R.K.!

All we have to do is perform at least three (3) Acts of Random Kindness a day.  You can do this by yourself and/or get kids, family members, and friends involved, too!

I suggest getting a journal or notebook to record your daily ARKs.  The purpose of this isn’t just to keep track of what you’ve done, but also to keep you on track, and to allow you to look back and reflect on what you’ve done, noting any changes you’ve seen or experienced as a result of your ARKs.

Your journal can also serve as a prayer journal, reminding you of people and situations you can remember in your prayers.

So what can you do for your ARKs?  The possibilities are endless!  Here are a few ideas to get you started:

•  Let someone go ahead of you in line    It’s really sad that people are so busy and all-about-themselves these days that they neglect the common courtesies of thinking of others first.  Just a little gesture like this can be a big ARK for someone else.
•  Help someone load groceries in their car
• Offer a word of praise or encouragement to someone
• Send a thank you note to someone for a kindness they’ve shown you – hand written notes are especially nice, but online greetings are good, too
• Send a note to someone ‘just because’ to put a smile in their mailbox or email
• Write a letter to someone from your past to let them know what a difference they’ve made in your life. ( For instance, I’m going to write to the author of a book that has been meaningful to my family, letting her know how much we’ve benefited from her efforts.)
• Be a Secret Pal to someone at work
• Take Halloween goody bags or homemade treats to your neighbors
• Share words of encouragements with someone who is struggling
• Make a child’s day by showing them a penny you ‘found’ on the ground or a counter and ask if they’d like to have it
• Think of favors you can do for your family members or friends – might be something as simple as making someone’s bed when they have a busy morning.
• Take part in the Drive-Thru Difference encouraged by 91.9 radio by offering to pay for the car behind you when you purchase something at a drive-up window.  (It’s nice to leave a little note for the other person.  I prepare notes ahead and keep them in the car.  My notes say – I’m taking part in 91.9 radios’s Drive Thru Difference and hope this will be a blessing for your day.  God bless you!   From: Your Fast Food Friend )
• Take part in organized volunteer efforts in your community.
• Think of your own way to volunteer in local schools, retirement homes/assisted living homes, after-school programs,sports ministries, food banks, churches, etc.
• Ask your doctor if he/she knows of a patient who needs rides to appointments and see if you can help.

As you can see, there are so-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o many ways you can build your ARK!

The first day I started building my ARK, I bought a few copies of “God’s Promises” books.  While standing in line to pay for them, I saw a young mother struggling to manage her energetic young children.  As I left the store I saw the mother strapping her children in their car seats.  The ‘voice in my head’ told me to give her one of the books.  Great idea!  I walked over to the mother and told her she had precious children, I thought she was doing a great job as a Mom, and that I wanted her to have one of the books.   She happily accepted the book and said she’d been wanting a book like that!  She chuckled as she said she’d probably keep it in her mini-van to have on hand when she needed it the most.  As I walked away I heard one of the children say, “Who was that, Mommy?”  She said, “I don’t know, but that was really nice of her!”

That moment was the best gift I gave myself that day, and each time you perform an ARK, you’ll feel like you’ve been gifted, too!

My goal is to perform at least three ARKs a day for a year, but your commitment doesn’t have to be that long.  You can try it for a month or even just a week.

OK!  Let’s get started!  Let’s build an ARK!

I’d love to hear your ARK ideas and experiences, too.   You can respond to this blog site or to my email address  ReneeMyers@carolina.rr.com