Take Up Your Pen . . .

I enjoy corresponding monthly with two friends. Distance separates one of them; illness the other. How I look forward to receiving their notes/letters in the mail. Personal communication, purposely written, to me.

I know time was taken by both of my friends to sit down and write to me. A love letter through the mail. Although we may never see each other again, our lives our intertwined because we take the time to share our lives through writing and encourage each other.

Corresponding with someone is a special endeavor. Although my ministry is encouraging through note writing, writing these two friends is a special time of reflection. It slows me down so I can care about someone else.

Real feelings, transmitted through the written word, to have always. Whether they include encouragement, disappointment, ponderings or the sharing of lives, the written words keep us close.



I reread each letter several times before I put it away in a special place. That keeps my friend on my mind for several days so I can lift her up in prayer.

I like to say “leave a paper trail of encouragement” as you go through life. It really stirs hearts!

“In today’s lightning–paced, nuclear-obsessed society, we are virtually starved for the individual stamp of a personally handwritten letter . . . What makes us “too busy” to send the gift of a letter to someone we care about? “. . . Alexandra Stoddard

It’s all about caring . . . touching lives . . and being refreshed.

Enjoy the beautiful scenes from fall which I took at Lake Needwood the other week.

A Simple Thought Today . . .

My favorite character, Eeyore, an unbelievably lovable donkey who is dismally gloomy, said the following:

“A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.” Such a simple statement for a simple fella to make . . . dear Eeyore. How I like and relate to him.

This donkey sure said a big thing! Consideration . . . others . . . difference. What a difference a little consideration make in others. The small things . . . may just be the big things in life.

Can you remember a time when you regretted having said a kind word? Encouraging words plant hope, courage and confidence. Gentle words are life-giving. The few words of encouragement that you give another may be just the praise needed to propel them to their desired goal. Mark Twain said: “One compliment can keep me going for a whole month.”

The simple help you give to another by taking care of a duty or concern will reap multitudes of blessing to that person’s life and your own. No matter how simple an act, the results can be great in another’s life. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said: “Give what you have. It may be better than you think.”

By helping another . . . standing with another . . . motivating another, you better yourself and them. It truly is the simple things that matter. And simple things are within everybody’s grasp to give.

Why not be like Eeyore and show a little consideration to someone. Even Eeyore can overcome his gloominess and encourage another. I know. I’m just like him.

A Light in the Night . . .

A poem by Edgar a Guest caught my attention many years ago. The words he shares in “Call Back” I’ve found true both in receiving and giving.

“If you have gone a little way ahead of me, call back–
‘Twill cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track;
And if, perchance, Faith’s light is dim, because the oil is low,
Your call will guide my lagging course as wearily I go.

“Call back, and tell me that He went with you into the storm;
Call back, and say He kept you when the forest’s roots were torn;
That, when the heavens thunder and the earthquake shoot the hill,
He bore you up and held you where the very air was still.

“Oh, friend, call back, and tell me for I cannot see your face;
They say it glows with triumph, and your feet bound in the race;
But there are mists between us and my spirit eyes are dim,
And I cannot see the glory, though I long for word of Him.

“But if you’ll say He heard you when your prayer was but a cry,
And if you’ll say He saw you through the night’s sin-darkened sky–
If you have gone a little way ahead, oh, friend, call back–
‘Twill cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track.”
Edgar A. Guest

I recently read a devotion by Spurgeon that spoke on this subject. He referenced to Psalm 84:6 which says, “As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.” 'This verse teaches that the blessings obtained by one person often prove to be of service to others, just as these springs would provide refreshing water for those who followed,' Spurgeon says. “Suddenly we realize someone has been here before us and not only dug a well for himself, but also for us.”

As is always the case, men of God reach back to the saints of old for instruction. We’re all familiar with Romans 15:4, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us . . .” Likewise, the experiences we’ve had in our walk with God and what we’ve learned from them, give us valuable wisdom to past along.

Whether we’re reading from God’s word, or a saint of God is telling you how God heard his/her cry and answered their prayer, “call back” when the need is there to help your fellow brother or sister.

Fall Flies In . . .

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” Albert Camus

The beauty of fall. Color dances all around us as leaves change from green to oranges, reds, and golds. The wind blows and it’s sweatshirt weather. Toasty fires emerge in the evening to sooth the soul from the work day. Farmers harvest and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

“Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.” Elizabeth Lawrence

The words of fall invoke pictures in our mind: Autumn . . . the word itself draws forth soothing thoughts . . . giving thanks . . . acorns . . . counting blessings. Harvest . . . fields of plenty . . . caramel apples . . . gathering of crops ... candy corn.

Maryland is a state where we enjoy all of the seasons. Fall brings me color . . . winter brings me snow . . . spring brings me new birth . . . summer brings me fawns. Although all sun and warm temperatures may delight some hearts, I love the changing of the seasons.

And I wonder, Is this the “fall” of life on earth? It amazes me to watch God’s plan unfold before my eyes and know that He is in control of all things. Will winter be far behind?

Some of my favorite quotes on fall:

“October gave a party: The leaves by hundreds came
The Chestnuts, Oaks and Maples, And Leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet, And Everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing, Professor Wind the band.”
George Cooper



Ruth Bell Graham spoke these words in her book Footprints of a Pilgrim: “They come and go so quicky, Spring and Fall . . . as if they had not really come at all. Perhaps we could not take too much of beauty, breath-catching glory, ecstasy without relief; and so, God made them brief.”

As my co-worker, Roy Thomas, said recently, “Fall is an artist, but it is God who provides the palette and the paintbrush.”

Enjoy the beauty God paints!