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 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 217: Malice Toward None & Charity For All →
As I write these warm thoughts, we are celebrating Presidents Day. Many patriotic thoughts come to mind on this national holiday on which we celebrate the birthdays of our first president, George Washington, and of our 16th President Abraham Lincoln.
Episode 215: A Visit from the President →
When you read this Warm Thoughts column and look at the calendar, it tells us that Abraham Lincoln's birthday is February 12th. In the one room country school where I went as a child, the pictures of George Washington and Abe Lincoln hung on the wall along with the ten commandments. In those years, the government recognized two President holidays in February. These two presidents became examples of compassion and courage in my life. George Washington was our first president and known as the father of our country. Abraham Lincoln was president during the Civil War. Very recently, I read an incident about Abraham Lincoln that happened in the Civil War. It really touched my heart during this heart month, and I felt compelled to share these thoughts on caring and compassion 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 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 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 206: Giving Thanks to God →
Thanksgiving Day is a very special holiday for many families. Family traditions are often carried out on this day in many homes. It is also a good time to remember what we often forget to say - that we are grateful to be together and to acknowledge with thanks, each other. It is a time to thank the people who have made a difference in our lives. Many warm thoughts come to mind.
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 200: Autumn is Magic →
A loyal reader of this warm thoughts column sent me the story about how Oktoberfest began. Some communities throughout the country celebrate Oktoberfest or have harvest festivals. Thanks dear friend for sending the history of the Oktoberfest.
Episode 199: Surviving the Changes of Life →
Recently, one of the readers of this column from Texas sent me an article entitled, "We are Survivors: Consider the Changes we have Witnessed." I thought it appropriate to share some of the thoughts from this article.
Episode 198: How Can You Make a Difference? →
One of the very faithful readers of this Warm Thoughts column recently sent me an article entitled, "You can Make a Difference." It was an article informing the public to take action on October 26th and make that day a day of caring. A National Day to inform us that the Make a Difference Day can help everyone to help others. The sixth annual event in partnership with the Points of Light Foundation takes place on October 26th. Mark your calendar! How do you plan to spend Make a Difference Day? It may be a month away but it is not too early to think about what you can do to help your community pull together a project for the day. You can also make a difference in the life of even one lonely shut-in, give a helping hand to a busy mother, write a letter of cheer to someone in need of an encouraging word, or touch the life of a child by sharing a gift of time with that child. Perhaps Saturday October 26th does not fit into your schedule, then make it October 27th or a day that will also Make a Difference Day for you or someone in need.
Episode 197: Hugs for Everyone →
The Labor Day weekend provides a great holiday for families who still need a few more days vacation. September is when we start counting the days of summer we still have left. September is also the month for Grandparents Day. This past summer, the grandchildren came to vacation at the little home on the prairie. One day I heard the older grandchildren laughing upstairs. They had found grandma's humor box. The youngest grandchild, very active two-year-old, Trevor, keeps everyone challenged. Grandma would rub his back at naptime. When he returned home from vacation, he ordered his dad, "Rub my back!" It is a real joy to receive many warm thoughts from the readers of this column. Recently, someone sent a poem which I will share with you.
Episode 196: Our Duty to Serve & Give →
One of the most faithful readers of this warm thoughts column has sent his significant insights from the book entitled, "Never Give In." This book was written by Stephen Mansfield and is about the extraordinary character of Winston Churchill. In a recent issue of the US News and World Report, it asked about heroes and the magazine shares the lives of 20 men and women who risked it all to make a difference. Winston Churchill was truly one of the heroes of England, although he was hated and rejected in various ways.
Episode 195: Eating for Attitude →
I recently read an article about how our attitude depends on what we eat and when we eat as it has a major impact on our performance and moods. We have heard often, "You are what you eat." According to Dr. Jack Groppel, a well known nutrition and fitness expert, he tells us how to have a better attitude.