When you read this column, it will be only a few days before Flag Day. I have often wondered if "Old Glory" can tell her story, just what she might tell us. Recently, I read some warm thoughts which I'd like to share with you, my dear readers of this column.
Episode 224: Dear Maxine →
As we reflect on the past century, it is interesting that it is the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize. We even have a stamp to remind us about this anniversary. Mother Teresa was one of the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. When she was asked, "How can we bring peace to the world?" She answered, "Just go home and love your family."
Episode 223: Partners in Prayer →
Snow showers in April bring us the month of May. Soon it will be the month of May - an exciting month of the year. A month of wonders. The amazing beauty and mystery of this world wraps itself into May. May is family month. There are the Mother's Day celebrations, graduations, and the May flowers help us celebrate and also honor the dead on loved ones graves. The beauty and drama of this world entwines the whole month of May.
Episode 222: What Makes a Happy Family? →
Easter joy! May all of you who read this column have a joyous Easter season. The day of Easter 1993 may be history, but the joy of that first Easter and the joy of every Easter sunrise service and every Easter celebration since that first Easter will live on and on. In my last column I shared some warm thoughts about Bethlehem and the plight to the Holy Land. If it were not for Easter, the season of Christmas would not be a celebration. Easter is truly a celebration of life.
Episode 221: Memory Lane →
Happy Easter! After the long winter, the seeds of spring are beginning to appear. We are reminded once again that in our lives we will have times of winter, but spring will come as promised. Spring is a time when one gets the urge to travel with the birds and visit family and friends, renewing old friendships and making new friendships. This past weekend, it was my joy to travel back to my roots and visit family and see many of my old friends from years gone by. Celebrating a 40th wedding anniversary with family was one of the highlights of the journey. Traveling old familiar roads brought back many memories and can give one a bit of nostalgia. Memories, memories!
Episode 220: April Fools & Reconciliation Day →
As I flipped the calendar, I was shocked that it was April already and April Fool's Day. Some of the readers of this Warm Thoughts column will recall the fun we had as children and trying to fool someone on that day, even if we had to lie a bit. It did seem to be permissible for just a day. You tried to fool at least one person. It was just a fun game.
Episode 219: Forever Spring →
Happy Easter! Easter and Spring have arrived. As I write these warm thoughts, it is the week before Easter and there still are some mountains of snow surrounding the little home on the prairie. My grandson, Trevor, who lives in Nebraska and who is spending some special vacation days with his grandma in South Dakota, is overjoyed to make an Easter snowman. Is spring really here in South Dakota? The events following Palm Sunday bring many memories of my past trips to the Holy Land. Walking the Via Dolorosa on the way to Calvary is a memory that often comes to mind not only during Holy Week.
Episode 218: Family & Friends →
When you read this column, spring is on the calendar! Oh, the wonderland of spring. The birds begin to sing their springtime songs. Winter is past and sweet spring has come at last. The trees that once were lifeless will begin to turn green. Many schools throughout the country have had their spring break already and the next holiday to look forward to is Easter holiday. It is a time for special times with family and friends. Among the many Irish sayings, Irish Gerard Butler wrote some beautiful thoughts on family and friends which I would like to share with you.
Episode 214: Grandma Quilt →
February - heart month - the month for Valentine's Day. The month we think "spring" even if all man winters still has his fling! Brrrr! It has been cold! One needs to keep warm with the extra comforter that would be at the foot of the bed in grandma's day. No cold chill could penetrate the warmth of that comforter as it radiated grandma's love and care. That quilt was grandma's legacy. Recently, my friend experienced all the excitement of being a grandma for the first time. My gift to her was a baby quilt, and a poem I wrote. Since many of my readers have expressed appreciation of poetry thoughts, I will share with you the poem I gave with the quilt.
Episode 213: Footprints in the Snow →
Many warm thoughts come to mind as one views snow covered mountains and valleys. Pleasant memories can be rekindled by the warmth of a glowing fire in the fireplace, as we read cards and letters from family and friends. A few weeks ago I received a letter from old friends who live in the heartland of America, who have endured many winters of snow and ice in their lives. These thoughts were included on their card.
Episode 212: The Afterglow of that Bright Star →
Many years in the past, I would write the family Christmas letter on January 6th, the Christmas of the Gentiles - the festival that commemorates the appearance of the Christ child as the promised Savior to the Gentiles and to all the world. A few days before Christmas, I spent some time with family and friends in Nebraska. While there, Trina, my seven year old granddaughter wanted to make a gift for her parents. Since she is reading now and loves to tell stories, she wanted to write "A Merry Christmas Story." She dictated each word for me to print. As I patiently listened to each word, I became a bit weary and felt challenged to listen to the rest of the story. "Grandma, we can't forget about the kings," I heard her say. And so she continued, "It was a star that led three kings from a faraway country to come to Bethlehem too."
Episode 211: Generations of Memories →
Warm greetings from the Little Home on the Prairie and a Happy New Year! When you read the first column of Warm Thoughts for this new year, your thoughts may still be reflecting on memories of your traditional Christmas with friends and family. How exciting to pass on those wonderful traditions to our children and grandchildren! We can have generations of memories.
Episode 210: Fresh Dreams →
This is the first Warm Thoughts column for 1998: An unknown author once wrote this New Year’s thought…”What the New Year will bring us depends a great deal on what we bring into the New Year.” Among the many Christmas greeting cards received were many warm thoughts.
Episode 209: Roses in December →
Every year now, as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day approaches, my memories take me to the little town of Bethlehem. How special it was to be able to worship in a cave on the shepherd hills in Bethlehem. The night I worshiped in a cave on those shepherd hills will long remain in my memories. We traveled the winding roads of those hills with Abraham as the driver of the bus called the guiding star and Elijah and Gabriel guided the driver. As we sang those beautiful Christmas carols, it seems that the angels in heaven were helping us to sing on the shepherd hills. I wrote about this unforgettable experience later high on the hill in an international hotel in Jerusalem, and will share a few thoughts with you.
Episode 208: Twas the Night Before Jesus Came →
As the days come closer to Christmas, the children become very excited. It becomes difficult to concentrate on classes. The Christmas holidays will soon be here!
Episode 207: The Compassionate Friends →
This week I will encourage readers of this Warm Thoughts column to light a candle on Sunday, December 12th. When your child and perhaps your grandchild dies in a family, the world changes and you will never be the same person. Life goes on, but priorities change, and remembering the child who has died is an important way of traveling through your grief journey. The holiday season is especially difficult, as old traditions often give way to new or more meaningful traditions that help to remember the child, sibling, or grandchild or great grandchild who has died.
Episode 204: Liberty →
November: the month of Remembrance Day, also known as Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving Day. How thankful we are to live in our America. Liberty, so precious a gift for each of us. It is so special that we can enjoy our liberty every day here in America.
Episode 203: Leadership Lessons from the Geese →
This is a time of year when some folks leave the Prairie Winds and go south for the winter. Folks down south who have permanent residence there will say, "The snowbirds are coming!" About the same time, the northern geese are going south too. Recently I read that these geese are not going as far south as they used to go in past years. These geese flap their wings and fly south and a "V" formation. In the spring they fly north and it is always a special time for us to learn some lessons from the geese.
Episode 202: Homespun Patchwork Quilts →
My dear friend of many years, who is over 90 years old now, really warmed my heart this past week with a letter. She has always written beautiful and inspiring letters with many warm thoughts. She has enjoyed the book, "Love is a Quilt," and sent thoughts about homespun patchwork quilts on these chilly autumn evenings one feels the need for that warm comforter quilt. Here are her thoughts.
Episode 201: Life Begins at 80 →
Recently, a few of my friends celebrated their 80th Birthday anniversaries. It was a very special occasion where family and friends came for an open house to celebrate life together. It is quite interesting that when I taught gerontology classes that I call the 80s the "lively 80s." An essay entitled, "Life begins at 80" supports those warm thoughts.