Category: Memories

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25 Ways You Can Teach Your Children to Serve Others

25 ways to teach your children to serve others. Why 25? I’m not sure just a good number I guess. I am sure the list could be even longer. But first I want to talk about why for just a few minutes.

Service begins at home.

Service should begin at home. Your children can make a very important contribution to the running of your home. Children can and should help out. Here are a few reasons. They gain valuable life skills and confidence when they know how to do basic jobs around the house. The world does not revolve around them. Why should someone else clean up all of their messes? Being part of the family team brings you all closer. Enjoy chatting while doing the dishes together. Set a timer for 10 minutes and have the whole team do a quick evening pick up. This will be a time of joy and fun as you serve one another.

Serving outside of your home.

Why serve outside of your home? We live in a self-focused world. Do you know how important it is to see the needs of others and to learn to help? There are a lot of blind people in the world. I am not talking about physical blindness. Children come into the world with no concern for others. Service is something you can nurture in your children by helping them to see and supply the needs of others. You can make a big difference in the world by serving one person. It is rewarding for those who serve as well as those who are served.

Here is my list of 25+ ways you can teach your children to serve others. 

  1. Visit an elderly person and sit on their porch and ask them to tell you about some aspect of their life. Pick up sticks or rake their leaves.
  2. Color a picture and send it to someone in the nursing home or hospital.
  3. Do you work on jigsaw puzzles? Pass it along after you work it. I recently left one of mine with homemade cookies at the desk of a nursing home for a friend of mine. Visits are not allowed. He called me later and said he hadn’t done one in years and really enjoyed it. He has mentioned it since then too.
  4. Pick up trash in your neighborhood. This will help them also be conscious of littering.
  5. Collect all your coins for a set period of time and donate it to a good cause like hhi.org/walk4water/smyrna-tn-2020. Ask others to share with you. You will be surprised at how many coins you can gather in a short time and make a lifelong gift of clean water. The gift of life!
  6. If you sew or have a teenage girl. you might want to help her make sanitary pads for girls in other countries. Many girls must miss a week of school every month. These girls may only have mud or grass to use. If you need a pattern check here:
  7. Do you have an elderly neighbor? Maybe you take their trash can to the street for them every week or once.
  8. Let your children help you make dinner for someone who is ill, had a new baby, or surgery. Even if you have to door drop during this season it will create a lasting memory of serving someone else.
  9. Have an elderly friend who loves to sing? Take a few people and have a short sing along with them. Ask their favorite songs. What song was a new song for them when they were younger?
  10. Do something nice for a single mom or maybe volunteer to babysit one afternoon while she has an afternoon off. Make this a family event.
  11. Volunteer at a workday. Widows, camps, spring building clean up or community clean up projects.  Make sure they are involved with many age groups. They learn so much this way.
  12. Every year there are floods, tornados, tropical storms, or other disasters and you can participate in some way in the recovery efforts. Cooking, donating, actual clean up, etc.
  13. Attend a Habitat for Humanity presentation. You will find several ways to serve. If your kids are too young they can make sandwiches to feed the workers.
  14. Make hygiene bags for the homeless, battered women’s shelters, etc.
  15. Pack snack bags and/or small throws and keep in your car to give to the homeless.
  16. Take a flat of water with you and give out on a hot day. Laundromats are good places.
  17. Encourage them to be the one who meets the new people and visitors at church. Maybe invite them over for a play date and share beforehand how they might feel moving to a new area or visiting a church for the first time.
  18. When allowed visit the nursing homes. Just your presence brings so much joy.
  19. Decorate a door. One year we chose one person in the nursing home and decorated their door for different holidays.  Spread happiness.
  20. Have a free yard sale.
  21. Take your children to be the first to meet the new neighbors with a plate of cookies perhaps.
  22. Hug patrol. Many elderly people miss physical touch. Especially widows. If you are concerned about hugs then encourage your children to pick out one older person at church each Sunday and go speak to them or hug them before they sit down. See my article about a single hug.
  23. Serve dinner at the local homeless shelter.
  24. Take goodies and thank you notes to the local Police Station or Firehouse.
  25. Collect throws and blankets from your stash and share them with those in need. I put these in a ziplock bag and give it to my favorite police officer who keeps them on hand to give out as needed. Maybe have your child write a short note or small picture on an index card to include.
  26. Make Magi boxes.
  27. Write cards to the sick in your congregation or visitors, etc.
  28. Pick up the phone and call someone who might be lonely.
  29. Healing Hands International is in my area and has volunteer opportunities. Many nonprofits are looking for volunteers.
  30. Read books to a daycare or school classroom. Dr. Seuss’s day is a good day to do so.
  31. A few years ago I heard Earl Lavender say, “Hospitality can change the world”. Make it a practice. Remember to keep it simple so that you can all enjoy it.
  32. Make care packages for the military or a college student.
  33. Go on a mission trip with your teens.
  34. Make a game of doing good deeds in secret.

A few more than 25. I hope this list will be a spark. Please comment below with your favorite ideas and experiences. Let’s spread some sunshine!

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The Story of a Single Hug and It’s Importance

Hug
Hug your grandmother today!

Sunday Morning Rush

The story of a single hug and it’s importance. You may not know how powerful and important a single hug can be. Today I want to share with you a little story of a single hug and it’s importance. Here is my story.

Rushing around I make sure everyone is getting ready to go. We wake up early to get everyone ready for church. I hate being late so I try to prepare as much as I can the night before. The kids choose their clothes the night before including shoes which you know can disappear at a moment’s notice. Missing shoes (or keys) can send my attitude into a downward spiral and make everyone miserable. I try to avoid that!  Anyway, back to the story.

Breakfast in the Van

We are rushing around dressing children and getting shoes on and hair brushed. This can take a bit of doing when you have 8 or 9 or 11 children. The van is full of children and I count to make sure we haven’t missed anyone. On Sunday mornings we skip breakfast and eat Little Debbie granola bars in the van on the way to the church building. We arrive a few minutes early and I remind the little ones to use the restroom BEFORE church. The children make their rounds greeting everyone but especially the older ladies. Grandma Lark is a favorite. She is a tiny little lady with a big smile and a happy personality.

A Single Hug

While the kids are passing out hugs and giving smiles, I stop and talk with Goldie, a widow, about her week. “Everyone needs 5 hugs a day”, I tell her as I give her a hug. Her next words stay with me forever. That’s the first hug I’ve had since my husband died. This breaks my heart and stays in my mind for years. I am sure she is not the only one. I give out more hugs now.

Research of Touch

Dr. Tiffany Field has researched physical touch for four decades and has concluded that touch promotes better health, mental and physical. She saw an increase in the natural killer cells that kill viral and bacteria cells in those with more physical touch. The study also found children are physically and verbally stronger and less aggressive when they have the physical touch. Even premature babies gain weight better and go home earlier when they have the physical touch. Physical touch is healing.

From the time we are in the womb through our elderly years, touch plays a primary role in our development and physical and mental well-being. New studies on touch continue to show the importance of physical contact in early development, communication, personal relationships, and fighting disease. Dr. Tiffany Field

Human touch is so vital to our well being. The practice of sharing a smile and a hug will enrich your life! Covid 19 has put a damper on this for sure. Instead of mourning one more thing we have lost I challenge you to put down your phone and computer and give attention to those in your path. Smile, pat a shoulder and for sure hug those in your house for the health of it, for the joy of it, and the love of it.

Hug
Hug

For further study:

Read this good article about Why Physical Touch Matters by following the link below.

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_physical_touch_matters_for_your_well_being

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Trust in the Lord with all Your Heart

Proverbs 3:5-6 says Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Trust in the Lord with all Your Heart
Trust in the Lord with all Your Heart

First Memory Verses

This is the first Bible verse that I teach my children around two years old. Yes, I teach them John 11:35 but the first verse is to Trust in the Lord! Don’t lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge God he will smooth the way for you. He will make your path straight if you will let him.

POW Toilet Paper Bible

Memorizing scriptures is very important to me. I first got a glimpse into the importance when I was middle school age and heard a POW speak at an assembly at Mortimer Jordan High School in Morris, Alabama. It so impressed me! I wish I knew who the man was. He probably has no idea what an impact he made on my life. Nonetheless, I still remember his description of how the prisoners pieced together a Bible. They wrote on toilet paper the verses that they could recall from memory. This was a joint project. They valued these words. These scriptures carried them through a dark time of imprisonment.

Freed-Hardeman

As a college student, I was impressed with a professor who memorized chunks of the Bible and sometimes books of the Bible! I wanted to do this!

Would there ever be a time when I would not have access to a Bible? Doesn’t everyone have a Bible? What if the only part of the Bible you could have right now was what you have committed to memory? How big would your Bible be?

Malawi

As I travel to Malawi I see a hunger for the word of God like none I have ever witnessed. They want to own a Bible. They want to hold and read a Bible because they know it contains the words of life.

What a blessing to be able to own a Bible. What a blessing to recall scripture from memory!

Count your blessings today!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

 

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Working for the Census 2020 – Exhausting and Exciting

Back Roads of Tennessee
Back Roads of Tennessee

Local Work

Working for the Census 2020 was exhausting and full of exciting challenges each day!

When I first started I worked in my own neighborhood. The extrovert in me was thrilled to see the beautiful faces of my community. My faith in people was restored as I met many wonderful people every day. What a contrast to the community I see on the news. I believe this is the heart of my real community. Yes, there is evil and injustice going on in the world but I choose to believe that is not the heartbeat of America! Good triumphs over evil!

Traveling the Back Roads

When my county was nearing completion I was offered the opportunity to be part of the travel team. It was hard being away and out of touch with my family for 3 weeks but I am so thankful I accepted this opportunity. Working for the Census of 2020 was exhausting and exciting.

Sometimes when I think about my life I feel like I have lived three lifetimes and this is just one of them.

I drove through the most beautiful creeks and backroads in rural Tennessee. The shallow clear streams which echo with the sounds of laughter of children on hot summer days and the sound of birds and insects buzzing in the early morning calm. Fog lifting and bringing in the sunshine to sparkle on the creek. Driving for hours with no cell phone signals, no gas stations or businesses. And obviously, no bathrooms. I contended with chiggers and mosquitos and dogs!

Collecting Stories

I came to envy somewhat the peacefulness of the people. They appear so content with life. How did they get that way? Why don’t I have that? I asked myself.

I especially liked meeting the old widows still living alone in their homes. So at peace with the same home, they spent most of their lives in. They were not fearful when I knocked on their door. (The rifle was right beside the door).  Gracious people greeted me with a smile and a welcome. They shared bits and pieces of their story and life. We connected about our children and grandchildren. Our love for the herbs or flowers or tomatoes growing near their houses. They tell me of their husbands and their life together.

How do they sit on their porch and enjoy watching leaves float by on the creek in front of their homes? They live downstream from where their grandparents lived before them or perhaps in the home, their parents or grandparents had built and lived in for years. They can tell you all the neighbors because most are related. I want to breathe this in and savor it.

Family

Aunts and Uncles and neighbors who have spent their lives not very far from where they were born. This touched me deeply. The generational ties are strong. They each have stories.

Family cemeteries and roads named after their relatives. Churches grandpa Brown sawed the lumber for and helped to build in the 1800s. Roots, connections, etc.

Farmers, politicians, stay home moms, caregivers, sheriffs, teachers, lawyers, doctors, and lots of nurses, etc. I met some amazing people each having a fascinating story of life. Most people do not think their story is so fascinating.

They may have grown up in the same house attended school in that same community, married their childhood sweetheart, helped grow the local church, etc. We each have an amazing story of life. I longed to stay on the porch and hear more of their life, more of their story.

Old Homesteads

The houses almost hidden from view contain stories too. Old homesteads are well hidden from cars passing each day. I climbed mountains and went through fields looking for old homesteads. I wanted to gaze at them and find out about the people who had lived there and why the house was abandoned to go back to the earth.

Why are so many houses sitting empty and deteriorating? Grandpa’s house, Uncle Joe’s house, mom and dad’s house? Is there some emotional connection that does not let relatives sell or occupy these homes? Why are there 3 empty houses and the only person around living in an RV keeping watch over the family land?

Porches Call to Me

The porches call to me. Porches covered with tin roofs. Trees making a canopy over the whole yard. The swings hanging from large trees in the front. Creeks wandering through the property. Old barns tucked into the trees.

Dust was thrown up with each passing car. And a wave to those passing by.

Red chert dug out of hillsides covers the roads along the creeks of Tennessee and take me back to earlier days. Slower days. Gentler days in many respects.

Vacant land where once a home stood. Once a mom and dad dwelled. Raising their family, working the farm, burying the dead in the family cemetery. The stories drift by and I catch a ray of sunshine.

So yes working for the Census 2020 was exhausting and exciting and sometimes even scary (but that’s another story) today I am thankful I accepted the opportunity!

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Do you have a WELCOME sign?

Do you have a welcome sign?

Welcome Signs

Do you have a Welcome sign? One of those cute new fads the porch leaner that has WELCOME on it maybe a sunflower or some other cute decoration. Do you have scripture printed on cute little plaques on your porch or scripture stones in your garden?

I’ve seen these popping up all over my neighborhood and I have begun to notice them more everywhere I go. What does it mean to you? What does WELCOME really mean? Is it just a cute decoration? A nice sign to put on your porch or is it something from your heart? Who are you welcoming to your home? Friends? Family? What about strangers? Lost people? What about door to door salesman? What about Census workers? How far does your WELCOME extend?

Can you spare any kindness today? Does your response to the unexpected knock at your door show the kind of person you are? When you hear a knock do you immediately assume it is an unwelcome intrusion you don’t want to be bothered with? Or do you open the door with a smile? Regardless of who knocks at your door, you can give them a friendly greeting. It might make a bigger difference in the world than you can imagine.

Scripture and Yard Signs

Do you have one of those JESUS the Way, the Truth, the Life yard signs? Or scripture plaques? Are they meant to be a reflection of your heart? Is this a true message you are hoping to share with the world?  When I approach a door and see Jesus signs, scriptures, or a welcome sign I make some assumptions. My first thought is someone believes in Jesus! I expect a friendly response from a house that has such a display. Instead, it seems people have forgotten what they are displaying in front of their houses.

Your Response

I have been admiring these signs for a while but after noticing the response of people it made me pause and consider. Am I am ready to display a WELCOME by my door?  How do my responses reflect my true heart?

It really doesn’t matter why someone is at your door you still have an opportunity to be a blessing right from your own front porch. Regardless of your interest in what the person is there for you can respond in a kind way. You will feel better and they will too. Kindness and smiles are never wasted.

Do you have a WELCOME sign?
Do you have a WELCOME sign?

My friend Lori Morse Winslow has a beautiful heart and she can help you make some beautiful items and this is just one of them! Check them out here.

 

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Weather Balloon Launching

Filling the Balloon
Filling the Balloon

Weather balloon launching? What? For my husband’s birthday last year, our children bought him a group gift! A weather balloon. Somewhere there is a video of him receiving his gift. This is an unusual gift I think. I have never known anyone to receive a weather balloon for their birthday. I am not sure where the original idea came from but Gabriel was the instigator to come up with a plan to make it happen. Everyone else pitched in and it became a reality. Little did I know this was no easy thing to launch a weather balloon. More about the process Lawrence went through later. Now for some Redding history.

The beginning of our balloon launches.

We have had a lot of balloon launches over the years. I believe it all started in the 80s with Azteca Mexican Restaurant in Burien, Washington. Our family has never eaten out very much through the years but Azteca made it very appealing for a family our size. Back then we only had four children. Anyway, back to the story. Azteca had .99 children’s meals on Sundays. The adult meals were large and sometimes Lawrence and I would even share a meal.  Every Sunday as we would exit Azteca they would hand each child a balloon. My husband is very creative. Our children probably thought their dad was just a lot of fun. He is a lot of fun but this was his way of getting rid of balloons and having fun. Balloons can last a while until their helium is finally exhausted! So he turned it into a launch party!

Over the years we have had many launches and many stories have come from those launches. Our kids used to put our address or phone number on a card and attach it to their balloons. Sometimes they would add launch times. One year on John Mark’s birthday, we launched a balloon from Redding Mountain. Six hours later I received a call from a teacher in Washington D. C. who found his balloon. So, we have a long history of launching balloons.

Back to weather balloon launching.

Anyway, back to the weather balloon launching. Over the last year, Lawrence has studied how to use this weather balloon and its equipment. At one point he experimented using the tracker by putting it on my car and tracking my movements. It would send him an email with my coordinates and pin on a map each stop.

Not only did Lawrence have to learn to use the tracker and the service. He also had to study to make sure we would not get in the flight patterns at BNA airport. What legalities if any were involved? He had to assemble the frame which would carry the tracker and device which would record the altitude and other measurements as well as the camera to record what was happening from the air. He also had to take into account what the weather would be like. So this was a very in-depth project.

Launch day arrives.

We set the launch date for Sunday afternoon August 9th. The week before we checked out the park and got permission for the launch. Lawrence had conference meetings with individual team members about different aspects and needs of the launch. We notified the Redding Team to meet up at the park for a 1 pm launch. ! It was a very hot afternoon and I was not on the field 5 minutes before I found my first tick. So we got out the Thistle Farms natural insect repellant and sprayed everyone’s ankles. We had a few to decline.

Job assignments were dispersed and filling and attaching the balloon was soon accomplished!. After almost an hour of assembly time and turning the camera and tracker on we were finally ready to launch! Emily Redding the numbers girl was to do the count down. So we counted more than once and cheered and finally launched the giant weather balloon.

In all the study of jet streams and other things to take into consideration, we never once thought there was a possibility of it flying west! And yes it traveled east just a bit and then straight west.

The balloon landed in Primm Springs, Tennessee and we were able to use the tracker and coordinates and go right to the retrieval point. Of course, we ask the homeowner’s permission before we went trespassing on his property. It landed down a steep bank and up the other side where it got caught in a tree on the way down.

We were able to find it fairly quickly with all this techy stuff. Soon all three vehicles were flying down the road where we eventually met up with some of the launch party that did not join in for the retrieval.

We were able to put the SD card in the computer and watch the pictures taken from the flight. We found out that the balloon had ascended 96,500 feet before it burst and headed down with the help of the parachute. Unfortunately, the camera didn’t do as well as expected. There were great footage and clear footage of the land below. The camera stopped before reaching the full altitude. I am not sure whether they figured out why the camera stopped so soon or not. It had new batteries. One theory I think I overheard was maybe the temperature of the batteries caused a problem. Either way, the film was amazing and we had a wonderful day!

I hope you enjoy some of the pictures from our day!

Filling the balloon
Filling the Balloon

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Learning New Skills or Perfecting Old Ones

Learning new skills or perfecting old ones

Learning new skills or perfecting old ones? Either is rewarding. I have shared I have been learning some new skills during the pandemic. Pickled eggs, a sourdough starter from scratch, homemade yogurt, and now I have been working on my sewing skills.

My mom did her best to teach me and my sister how to sew.

My mom was a good seamstress and made most of my clothes. She taught me so many things. She did her best to teach me and my sister how to sew. We joined 4-H and entered our sewing projects each year after much toiling and seam ripping and maybe a few tears. Our dresses usually won an award of some kind. I am a bit stubborn and I am sure I was not a great pupil. Sometimes I didn’t have a lot of interest and my mom would ask who was going to make my clothes when I grew up. I would reply she was. I sure wish I had learned more during those lessons!

Anyway, as you may have guessed by now I am not a great seamstress. I can sew a little. I like to sew but I do end up in frustration at times lacking the necessary skills to make something look really nice.

Small bags African Print
Small bags African Print

My friend Ida Mae is a creative genius! She makes the most amazing creations. Anyway, I have been wanting to make little bags to share with supporters of the Malawi mission work. Ida Mae gave me a quick lesson one afternoon and I have been making some cute bags. Thank you, Ida Mae!

Learning new skills and perfecting old ones
Sewing

Ten years ago I bought an adorable pattern online from Samantha Caffee, The Handmade Dress. It was a peasant dress for sizes 5-10. You guessed it, I never used it until now! How sad! I love this cute little dress and my little girl grew up!

I wanted to make it for my granddaughter but it is too big for one and too small for the other. I’m sure I will find someone to give it to or take it as a gift to Malawi. Now I know how to do the sizes so I learned something else through this experience.

Learning new skills or perfecting old ones. Either way, you will feel a great sense of accomplishment.

 

 

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Hospitality Can Change the World Yours and Mine

Hospitality can change the world yours and mine. What is hospitality? Webster’s Dictionary definition is the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.

Acts 16:15  says, “Come to my house and stay.”

When you hear the words, “come to my house”, how does that make you feel? Kathy McWhorter Kendall in her book A Chosen Few, asks the question. Appreciated? Honored? I think one of the keys to being more hospitable is understanding how it makes you feel but turning it around and focusing on the other person and how they feel.

People want to know that you are interested in them. I crave connection. Judging from my experience I am not alone. The people I meet on my doorstep passing by or buying things at the market prove this to be so. I’ve had hugs in the grocery store and people exchange phone numbers too.

Earl Lavender spoke at Smyrna Church of Christ a couple of years ago. Brother Lavender gave several examples of hospitality. He shared the impact it had on people’s lives. And he said, “Hospitality can change the world.” You know what? I happen to agree. Hospitality can change the world yours and mine!

Romans 12:13 says “Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

The scriptures show many examples of hospitality. Yes, it was a very necessary part of travel during Biblical times when motels and guesthouses were in short supply. However, we see repeated examples in the scriptures of churches meeting in homes and mealtimes being shared. The early Christians met in homes daily. What an amazing way to share the Christian faith.

Life is meant to be shared. God said so in Genesis 2:18: The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. ‘ And God is always right. God also put us in the body of Christ, the Church for a reason. We need each other.

This week I witnessed a beautiful display of the body of Christ in action. A friend from church was moving from Tennessee to Florida and had asked for a bit of help loading the truck. We arrived a few minutes late because of a huge downpour and there were hardly any parking spots left!

1 Peter 4:9 says, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

I want to share a few excuses people give for not practicing hospitality. Time is probably the first, big enough house, clean enough house, not a good hostess or cook, or not enough money. I will admit relationships take time. Hospitality will not always be convenient.

You can spend time with others without spending much money. Tea time is cheap. A glass of ice water or tea and a nice visit can fill the heart with encouragement.

Some of the most hospitable and loving people I know are not great housekeepers. That’s ok. They are great at loving people to Jesus.

Do you have enough time to eat? Learn to practice hospitality around your daily rituals and that will make it easier. We all have to eat. They will remember how you made them feel not necessarily what you cooked. I used to spend all day cooking for dinner guests. This is unnecessary. A simple casserole or pot of soup will be sufficient.

I try to include people in my regular activities. Sit and visit with a friend while the kids play in the yard or while you fold laundry. Visit with them in the kitchen while you bake, cook dinner, or do the dishes together. Canning or prepping food for freezer cooking can become a great time to chat and enjoy the everyday things of life together.

Maybe you don’t have much time at home. Do you work two jobs? Maybe you could invite someone to eat some Chick-fil-A during your lunch break. How about telling them to come for a simple Crock-Pot supper? Maybe you can give someone a friendly call using Bluetooth on your commute from work. I am sure you can come up with some great opportunities when you start looking!

Practicing hospitality at church meetings.

How can you practice hospitality at church? Make a point to greet visitors or someone you have not met. Just say hi! Wave and smile at people. Ask someone to sit with you. Invite someone home for lunch after church even if it is just for sandwiches. Or to share a meal at a restaurant. Remember people’s names. You don’t have to be an extrovert to be hospitable.

Recently, I shared my experience from years ago of visiting a large Texas church with my 7 children in tow. They were wearing their cute matching shirts and looking adorable if I do say so myself. That day, not a soul spoke to us! Someone did hand us a bulletin coming in the door. During the meet and greet time I went and introduced myself to the closest person to me. I’m not the only one. Many have experienced this sort of thing. Don’t let this happen to visitors or members at your church.

My friend Donna has a strong opinion about this, if someone walks into your church building they need a greeting. They may be a traveling Christian –  they are family, welcome them! They may be a seeker looking for spiritual guidance or connection, they certainly need a greeting! There is no excuse to leave strangers standing alone without a friendly welcome!

Enjoy hospitality.

Be relaxed. Keep things simple. Plan for a simple activity like a simple board game, or just chat while the kids play, include people in your family devotional or a sing-along. Make your home a comfortable place to visit. A haven from the world for friends and family.

Some of my greatest memories are from spending time in other’s homes and having others spend time in our home. Conversations around the table. Memories of our home filled with laughter, food, and music flood my mind. What a beautiful life.

Hospitality can change the world yours and mine.

You can find an article here on sharing hospitality during a pandemic.

Hospitality can be a simple casserole
A simple casserole

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What Would You Tell Your 20 Year Old Self?

What would you tell your 20-year-old self?

What would you tell your 20-year-old self? I was reading a blog post this morning that challenged me to take a few minutes to look back. Look back and see where I’ve been and how far I have come. I glance back occasionally but don’t really delve into it too much.

Born in 1960 and now I am 60! How did that happen? That 40 years sure was full. So what would I tell my 20-year-old self? I would probably say live with purpose and not so much fear. It’s ok not to have all the answers. I’m not sure if I am unique or if it is common for most 20-year-old girls to be fearful. I had a lot of optimism in some things yet uncertainty about others. I was intense. Trying to be perfect and to parent perfectly. I know now how unrealistic I was.

Turbulent Teens

After a rough time with ups and downs in my teen years (aren’t all teen years like that?) I feel like my 20’s were filled with more purpose. However, I feel I carried so much regret and fear well into my 20’s. Regret for my mistakes regrets for love not shown, selfishness, bad decisions, and bad attitudes that had accompanied my teen years. It would have been better if I could have accepted those things and forgiven myself.

Campaigns Northwest gave me a renewed zeal in my faith and new strength.

As an alumna of Campaigns Northwest, 1979, and 1980 were life-changing years. I knew I wanted to live my life fully planted on Jesus! I was committed to loving God and living for him. Yes, I still had failures and sinkholes to dig myself out of but I absolutely knew where I was going. Marrying a preacher man carried me into that life with full force. It was the perfect fit for my life and 40 years later we are still going strong.

Campaigns Northwest - West Seattle Team - 20 year old me
Campaigns Northwest – West Seattle Team – 20-year-old me

So what would I tell my 20-year-old self? That everything is going to be ok. Life is full of ups and downs and a lot of lessons to be learned. Learn to live with purpose and big love, forgive your mistakes, and move on. Stay focused. God will carry you through whatever comes your way.

Oh, the stories I could tell of my 30’s and being pregnant and nursing babies for almost a full decade. But that is a story for another day.

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Choosing Your Path or Letting it Choose You

Choosing Your Path

Choosing your path in life seems like a very practical thing. It seems logical. Right? Proactive, yes! All successful people do this, don’t they?

Have you always known what you were going to do?  When you were a small child and someone asked you, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Did you have an immediate answer?

I think my first answer was probably, “I want to be a mom!” That was a given from the early years when I was running around in my yard and climbing trees and chasing piglets. I knew I wanted to be a mom. I had a picture in my mind of what that would look like. So I practiced on my little sister and neighbor friends. I would clean the house and make them Kool-Aid and snacks. I still had plenty of time to play with them too though.

High School Years

By the time I was 13 years old and in seventh grade, I knew I wanted to be the President of the United States. I was sure I could make a difference in the world. The kids at school had a great time making fun of me about that one.

As I finished my high school years I thought I knew how life was going to go. I had abandoned the idea of becoming the President of the United States of American by the time I graduated from Mortimer Jordan High School in 1977.

I thought I would marry my high school sweetheart but he never asked so I went on with Plan B to go to college. I thought I knew which college I wanted to attend. I applied to Auburn University (AU)  and waited for that acceptance letter. Meanwhile, I was invited to spend the weekend at another college in southern Alabama, Alabama Christian College (ACC) a small two-year school. That weekend I chose my path and the direction of my life. I made the decision to attend ACC. The acceptance letter to AU arrived the next day.

College Life

My freshman year was filled with wonderful new friends and experiences. As a Communications major, I was given the opportunity to interview experts for our school radio program. I also wrote for the school newspaper. Being a member of the Phi Lambda social club and student government brought another dimension to college life. Meanwhile, my role as Freshman Class Representative took me to Abilene, Texas. Abilene has to be one of the windiest places I have ever been to. I learned very quickly to hold my skirt down while trying to walk across campus.

Abilene, Texas

I did not know until a few years later what Abilene, Texas would give me. I was attending a conference with people from all over the U.S. I met two young men I would never see again nor remember their names. Yet they had a BIG impact on my life. These two young men were from Freed-Hardeman College (FHC). They assured me that FHC was the greatest school! ACC was a 2 year school when I was there. So when the time came for me to transfer I transferred to FHC.

ACC (Faulkner University) is a Christian college so that brought my heart to a deeper focus on spiritual matters. Devotionals, Bible classes, and my first mission trip opened up a whole new world for me. This love for God would stay with me as I transferred to FHC and for the rest of my life.

My first date at FHC was with a handsome blond boy named Lawrence Redding who was born in Abilene, Texas and that story continues to this day.

So did I choose my path or did my path choose me?

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

 

Reda FHC 1979 Student id
Reda FHC 1979 Student id