What a Welcome

I had a normal morning. Trouble with the car, slow traffic, a long drive, and a late arrival would seem to be the start of a horrible day. However, upon walking into my office, Toblerone was waiting to greet me.

The Toblerone was a thank you from a co-worker that brought a smile to my face and set the tone for my day. The giver was under no obligation. It was an act of kindness. It reminds me that we can all do something to make the world around us better.

There are many people who are takers. They take all they can materially and emotionally from those in their lives. Those who take are always looking for more and will never be satiated. For these people, you should place boundaries. Know when the giving becomes too much. When possible remove these people from your life. If you are one, stop.

We can choose to be givers. Give of your time, appreciation, and talents. Most people remember the kind words and deeds that you do for them. And you never know what may result from your good deed. I am reminded of the movie Pay It Forward. For each good deed done to you, pay forward three good deeds to someone else.

Sean and Leigh Ann Tuohy are some of the more well known people, who make it a practice to do good to others. They passed that on to their children.

However, what we do doesn't have to be huge. I have a wonderful friend who's a photographer. She often pays for her Starbucks and that of the people behind her. Just holding the door for someone who has their arms full can be the one thing that goes well for that person all day.

As Leigh Ann Tuohy has said, "You think you can't make a difference, that 'my little bit won't matter.' It will matter."

The Toblerone made a difference for me.

Zoo Trip

So last week, Mulberry Baptist Church took a trip to the Little Rock Zoo. The idea was to reinforce the previous week's lesson on creation. The little ones had the opportunity to look at some of the many wonderful animals that God created. In fact, I had to opportunity to look at one a bit closer than I really wanted. During the animal show, a beautiful barn owl flew so close to me it hit the edge of my camera.

The day was beautiful, sunny, and most importantly cool. There were 25 people in our church group. Kevin and I brought four of the young one's. Two are my wonderful nephews, Joey and James. They spent the night with Aunt Bonnie and the next morning ate green eggs and ham. So while at the zoo, we looked for green chickens to replace the green eggs we used that morning. It was quite fun.

The day was definitely an answer to a five-year-old's prayer. "God, please make tomorrow fun. And make everyone have a good day. Amen."