Story Library

Mother’s Day Magic

What magic is given to mothers that they have such an ability to soothe? Antibiotics may cure the illness, but it’s a mother’s hands that soothe the pain, calm the fears and provide the reassurance.

Your hand in your mom’s can fix things, at any age. She always seems to know how you feel, what you need and what might be worrying you. She’s someone you can talk to, turn to, confess to.

What a wonderful gift she is. Her smile can remind you of the best in yourself. Her encouragement can convince you that you CAN get it done. When she doesn’t agree with you, she just may give you the cause to pause that results in making a better decision.

On Mother’s Day and year-round, give thanks that God made mothers. Something to consider.

[Show #137]

Spring: The Chance To Start Over

This is a guest post about one of our Consider This episodes written by my friend, Elizabeth Cottrell, as it originally appeared on her blog at Heartspoken.com. If you want to read the full transcript of the show, CLICK HERE.

“What a gift spring is!”

Thus begins Annette Petrick in one of her wonderful “Consider This” radio spots. She zeroed in on what is most precious and powerful about the season of Spring: it is a time for awakening, for new growth, for renewal.

“Springs seems to be God’s way of assuring us that we can all start over,” she suggests.

And my heart whispers, “Yes!”

Yes to all the possibilities of new ideas to explore, new connections to make, new lives to touch.

Use the audio player above to listen to this 90-second radio spot and then answer this question: What’s waiting for a new start in your life?

Happily Annette has created a collection of these wonderful shows on her Consider This CD – Vol. I : A Heartwarming Collection About Life and Love. We’ve made it available at Heartspoken, either from this page or among our “Gifts That Inspire.”

The CD contains more than two dozen tracks with messages and lessons in short (less than two minutes long), easy-listening format. Track themes include Mothers, Friends, Coping with Life, Women, Spectrums of Love, Opportunity, and Lessons from Life. Whether you purchase the CD in its beautiful booklet case or in a deluxe boxed gift set, you’ll get the code to download a free 28-page bonus book with expanded writings on themes on the CD, photos, and the author’s personal story of life and love.

The CONSIDER THIS CD – VOL. 1 is the Perfect Gift:

to celebrate
to encourage
to comfort
to enjoy
to reward yourself
to show SOMEONE SPECIAL how much you care

0007 Consider This CD – Vol. I – $14.95 ($3.00 shipping for up to five.)

Call 540-436-3969 or email Elizabeth at e…@heartspoken.com if you need more than five)

CD in lovely booklet-style jacket and enclosed secret code to download free Bonus PDF Book

Consider This CD in gift box — Consider This CD Vol. I in Deluxe Boxed Gift Set

0008 Consider This CD – Vol. I in Deluxe Gift Box – $16.95 ($3.00 shipping for up to five)

Call 540-436-3969 or email Elizabeth at e…@heartspoken.com if you need more than five)

CD and its jacket nestled inside a deluxe red gift box, ribbon tie, with a personalized gift card and enclosed secret code to download the free Bonus PDF Book

This wonderful CD is the perfect stocking stuffer, teacher gift and gift swap gift. Order today and order in quantity.

If you have any ordering issues, email Elizabeth at e…@heartspoken.com or call her at 540-436-3969. Ask about special quantity pricing.

Surprise Party

How do you get 90 people to keep from giving away the secret, when you plan a surprise birthday party? That’s what I’m still trying to figure out.

My fiancé Bill and I entered a catering hall where I expected to attend a local fund raiser. SURPRISE – came the ear-shattering greeting, as we entered. Everyone was so excited . . . . and I was so confused. What were all these people doing here? It took moments for me to realize, it was a birthday party – for me! Good heavens!

My sister Karyn had worked on plans for months, in cahoots with my kids and her kids and local friends. Sixty-two people filled the hall and were suddenly all pressing forward for a hug or at least recognition of their presence. I was in a daze!

My kids were all there – from New Jersey and Michigan, most of the grand-kids and my precious great grandson. Seems that nearly a hundred people were in on the surprise. And not a single one gave it away. Not deliberately or by mistake. I was just amazed.

Also amazed by the love and affection it represented. It was humbling and heartwarming. Friends came to Virginia from as far away as Texas. I was so moved and excited and just wished we all had more hours, or even days, to spend together.

I don’t know how YOU feel about surprise parties, but this one was delightful, entertaining and memorable. Thank you so much.

[Show #602]

Courtesy Close In

I was coming around the corner in the grocery store. So was he. Whew . . . close call with our carts. “Excuse me,” he smiled. “No problem,” I replied with a smile as generous as his. We were so kind and polite to each other, we two strangers. I was proud of us both.

But sometimes we forget to be equally polite to the people we love and who mean something to us. A child approaching while you’re fixing dinner may hear, “Watch out; get out of the way.” A wife reaching for a kiss during the football game may be waved off. A teenager arriving home with the groceries may be greeted with, “It’s about time you got back” Instead of “Thanks for making that trip.”

We expect that those close to us will accept this kind of behavior. After all, we can’t go around the house muttering “Please, thank you, excuse me” – all day long. Can we?
Why not?

Why treat strangers in a kinder and more polite way than those we love?
Practice thinking and saying those special words around the house. Practice courtesy towards those you love!

Please . . . thank you . . . excuse me. It will be such a joy when the new kinder gentler you takes hold.

And when you find the words being used by children and grandchildren too . . . well, that’s when you know you’ve made your corner of the world a slightly little better place.

[#336]

Decisions You Make

Today, you will have decisions to make: whether to get up now or sleep another hour. . . what to have for breakfast. . . what to wear. . . whether to take that phone call as you’re ready to walk out the door or not.

Each of those decisions seem inconsequential. You may make them by rote without even really thinking about them. But the chain of those decisions becomes your life.

How well you live that life depends on the decisions you make. Some people are very good at making decisions, and their life thrives. Others – not so much.

That’s when we hear the excuses about what went wrong: it was the economy. . . a bad start in life. . . not enough education. . . parents who did not care.

But the truth is . . . every one of us has the right – and obligation – to make good decisions to keep our lives running in the right direction. YOU have control, regardless of the economy or your schooling or your parents.

Making the right decision is not always easy. You may not have immediate gratification. It may take years to get where you want to be. You may have detours or false starts that need do-overs.

But It’s never too late to start making the right decisions. Something to think about.

[Show #451]

Sending Cards

You can tweet up to 140 words on Twitter. You can share your latest hairstyle with the world on Facebook or send your message the old fashioned way – by email. But I still enjoy using the totally antiquated form – a personal note through the US mail. Emotions conveyed through your own handwriting seem to have such a special effect.

Have you ever FOUND an ancient hand-written note; something tucked away in a trunk or a drawer because it was too precious to be discarded? Maybe a love letter sent from granddad to grandma while they were courting . . . a letter sent from a battlefield to a loved one at home or a picture drawn with love and crayons by a child for a parent.

The note you send to a friend or loved one today may be kept with the same kind of loyalty and become a treasure to be shared, years from now. Wouldn’t it be interesting to know who kept a hand written note that you sent?

You might be surprised to hear how many of your notes and letters are carefully stashed in someone’s special place. It’s a place where spelling and grammar don’t count and sentiment does. It’s like a peek into a person’s soul.

Love seems to come through so much better, when it’s hand written.

[Show #325]

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