dancing through my head…
Open arms,
open doors,
that’s all that’s ever been there.
“Come, enter in!”
You have been
and forever will be…
Welcome!
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”
Revelation 3:20
hugs n’ blessings and prayers…for doors that will be opened and dinners to be shared!
it’s the monday giggles!
I love the monday giggles! This regular ‘feature’ post has become a favorite of mine to write and I do hope-ity-hope you love to monday giggle (with me) too!
This past weekend a very delightful surprise occurred when I stumbled upon a monday giggle mascot for my site. And just wait until you hear how we found one another! (It was love at first giggle!)
Every year I look forward to attending an Annual Charity Event in our community which helps to kick-off the Holiday Season with a Ladies Only Luncheon, while supporting a life-changing organization.
The Gertrude Barber National Institute
Prior to 1952, community-based services for individuals with disabilities were virtually non-existent in Erie, Pennsylvania. Dr. Gertrude A. Barber, an administrator in the city’s school district, answered the calling. She saw a need for a more integrated approach to providing individualized care for those with special needs. And her vision would change the landscape of modern care-giving forever. Armed with little more than a smile and a prayer, she founded the Dr. Gertrude A. Barber Center’s non-profit organization dedicated solely to improving the lives of children and adults within the community.
Over the course of a half-century, the Barber Center staff would help make dreams come true for thousands of people with disabilities and their families. Today, the aptly renamed Barber National Institute continues to grow strong.
With the late Dr. Barber’s vision leading the way; they’re committed to combining the best research with training and education – resulting in the finest prescriptive programming.
The Barber National Institute was recently named Number One in the Nation for it’s care of those with intellectual disabilities.
Ever year at this event the students of the Barber Institute create a delightful “item” for purchase. I have taken home with me, over the course of the past several years, priceless pieces! There have been handmade note-cards, ornaments, and the likes. Each has produced wonderful heart-giggles for me but this year was the best yet because…there were Angels there! And each one had been hand-made & hand-named by the students, and that’s how I found her…
my monday giggles angel-gal-pal mascot named, “Hee-Hee!”
(You’re giggling already, right???)
You never know as you meet someone
Just what might be their need.
Sometimes a warm smile or handshake
Is all it takes to plant a fruitful seed.
Other times you may need to speak a word
Of encouragement to a sister or brother,
Or share your faith along the way
As God gives opportunity with another.
When you meet with a hurting neighbor
Along side of your journey’s road,
Be sure to reach out with a loving hand
And help carry their heavy load;
For you never know on life’s pathway
Just who you might meet there…
Always take note of each precious soul,
For some have entertained Angels Unaware.
~Connie Campbell Bratcher
“Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:
for thereby some have entertained angels unaware.”
(Heb.13:1-2)
And I do believe this is why I have enjoyed the blogging world so very muchly! There have been so many Angels Unaware (just like Hee-Hee,) that I have met, who have the same shared heart-space as I, and have reached out with loving hands in my own life’s pathway. Not to mention the kindly others who have been so appreciative of my own feeble efforts to carry their loads, by taking a sincere interest in their precious souls.
So, Hee-Hee & I remind you with THIS Monday Giggle that hugs n’ blessings are all that will be found here in our blog-space-say-I, and they’re always freely given to anyone who wishes to receive them!!
these hugs n’ blessings are yours today…
given by Angels that are watching, (not stalking,) over you!
Tomorrow night is the 49th Annual CMA Awards held in the United States and I hope Cuppycake and I will be able to spend a little time watching some of our favorite artists take home a few well-deserved awards! (Not to mention listen to some really great performances and oogle’ over the fabulous fashion styling!) And whether MY favorites are honored or not, it is always nice to watch people recognized for their hard-work! Admittedly, I’m one of those individuals who would rather have ‘participation awards’ for everyone, but I do appreciate & admire the talents of others and am excited for their achievements.
And since the CMA Awards are so huge and will be followed by millions of viewers I have decided to hide among their many accomplishments by taking the opportunity to say thank you to some very special followers who have recognized me with a few blogging awards. (Imagine my surprise when I was notified!) I now know what the performers mean when they stand there on stage, award in hand, and cannot come up with the “right words” to thank their voting audience. I admire so very much the fellow-bloggers who have nominated me that I am giddy-with-excitement to humbly say, “Thank you!” I fear I’ve been holding on to accepting them out of ‘cyber-stage-fright’ but I truly do want to thank them properly. There are a few important steps to walk through in accepting these honors in an appropriate way; however, I have condensed the process in fear of ‘running off the cyber-stage’ before I become tippity-tap-typeset-tied & fumble the words!!
Two particular Awards I actually received when I first began blogging:
I was Awarded The Versatile Blogger Award through Cherry at Cherita Story! I have enjoyed her youthful, spunky, writing voice and have missed her postings. She has not written since early 2015 but I do so very much hope-ity-hope she will return! Perhaps my ‘ping-back’ will inspire her to do so!
Another blogger who has not updated her site for quite a period of time, but was kind enough to award me The Liebster Award was, noplainjanie! I love, love, love the images, color, and cheerful personality she writes with & I do hope she too returns to her blog-space very soon!!
Last but not least one of my kindest followers, Anand from blabberwockying! Anand awarded me two separate honors! The Liebstser Award, the same Award as noplainjanie listed above, and also The Sunshine Blogger Award! I have loved discovering Anand’s bloggity-blog site as he has exposed my heart & my thoughts to many interesting aspects of living. He has a courageous spirit and cannot be outdone in his generosity! He is very affirming to fellow blog-writers and I look forward to reading his perspective on many topics.
When receiving an Award in cyber-world you are asked to do several things:
*Once you are nominated, make a post thanking and linking the person(s) who nominated you!
*Include the Award sticker in the post too and be sure to answer the questions from your nominator(s)!
*Nominate 5 -10 other bloggers who you feel are worthy of this award!
*Lastly, COPY these rules in the post.
Because I have just now collected the courage to accept these Awards there is a plethora of questions to answer which have piled up from the three wonderful bloggers who nominated me! How I have chosen to handle my dilemma is to take an itty-bitty sampling of questions, (from each of the three,) to answer; so that I do not over-whelm anyone with data, yet hopefully keep it interesting for you while honoring my nominators! (Fingers-crossed!)
Why exactly do you write?
I have always journaled. I actually still have old Diaries from my youth and have journaled using various mediums throughout my lifetime. My blog is an opportunity for me to journal in cyber-space! It is a personal attempt to catalog my thoughts as I tippity-tap-type them off into the cyber-world!
Do you believe in miracles? If yes, have you ever seen one?
Yes! And yes! First and foremost I do believe the gift of life is not merely scientific…I believe life itself is a miracle. And that my life has been saved, sinner though I am, by a redeeming God is a miracle. Having said that…there have been two miracles thus far I have been witness to. While praying a Rosary on a silver-beaded Rosary my husband had custom made for me by a local woman as a Christmas gift…the beads turned from silver to gold in the course of prayer. This all took place after a pilgrimage to Medjugorje where this has been reported to have happened on multiple occasions. The prayer intention I had been praying for during this transformation to my Rosary indeed was eventually fulfilled. (The woman who made the Rosary for me verified in writing she used silver beads, while a local jewelry store verified their now gold composite. This evidence was turned in to the study of miracles at Medjugorje.) Lastly, I acquired a ‘healing cloth’ during our pilgrimage to Medjugorje, which I took to the hospital with me upon hearing our god-child was gravely ill. The dr’s at our local hospital gave permission for the cloth to be placed with her, amongst her wrappings, prior to her being air-flighted to a nearby Major Medical Hospital. Her survival has been said to be ‘miraculous.’
Which is your best memory?
Besides the marriage to my husband and birth of my children…reading my favorite childhood book, Island of the Blue Dolphin, while sitting in my favorite Chestnut tree in the side-yard of my childhood home.
Do you feel you are at peace with yourself?
Yes, profoundly…
Who is your guide, guru or counselor?
My Lord, my God, my Saviour!
What makes you feel very good?
When someone asks me to pray for them. Or values my opinion.
Which quality or habit in your life do you like the most about yourself?
My ability to listen.
What is your best quality?
My loyalty.
Which is more important, Heart or Brain?
Heart.
What are your two greatest quotes of all times?
“The truth is like a lion. It does not need defending. Set it free. It will defend itself.” St. Augustine
“It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” Ursula K. LeGuin
The Versatile Blogger Award I pass on to:
oliveole!, Maria at Silence Speaks, & Phoodie and The Beast!
The Liebster Award I pass on to:
Catherine at Atypical60, Roses Near Running Waters, and Nan at Nan Tubre Writes!
The Sunshine Blog Award I pass on to:
Oneta at Sweet Aroma, Patrick at Red Dog Garage, and darlydarly!
For each of my Award Winners…Please just use the same compilation of 10 questions I used above!
i love that others have enjoyed my cyber-journaling and i love that God has used each of you to bring me such joy!
hugs n’ blessings for all the ways you each have given to me!
hugsnblessings 