#LightTheWorld – Sentinel2Sentinel

Paint and Clay: When it’s time to play!

My friends in Florida own Ceramics Fanatics & Addicted Artists. When they first opened up I painted a simple square ceramic plate using a photograph from NASA to paint a black hole on it. It turned out okay but I knew I could do better so I went back and chose, for some odd reason, to experiment again on a butter dish. It turned out much better.

Now I live in Montgomery, Alabama. I had seen a little ceramic shop a few streets over from where I CrossFit when Lo and Behold! The shop moved into the little shopping plaza right next to the Box. The family who owns the business is absolutely delightful. They are totally customer service oriented, very friendly and extremely knowledgeable.

Finally, I had the opportunity to go make a little something for someone for Christmas. Hope it turns out the way I want it to, that I have the paint just right and the firing goes well because this plate has a #LightTheWorld story behind it.

Literally. It is on the backside of the plate. (tee-hee)

**PAINT AND CLAY**: Paint Your Own Pottery and Canvas Studio

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#LightTheWorld: A Christmas Compass

via Daily Prompt: Compass

Yesterday I had the opportunity to sing in our Church service. The piece I chose was Gesù Bambino by Pietro Yon with the Frederick H. Martens translation, although I sang the first chorus in the orignal Italian. It is such a simple, beautiful hymn paying tribute to the sweet, humble birth of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Last year my Church invited all to particpate in the Light The World Christmas Initiative. In simple, meaningful ways we were invited to do a simple act of kindness, of service to others for 25 days. It was so much fun that my husband and I were excited that it was carried over into this 2017 Christmas season.

Just like the brightly shining star guided the Wise Men to where the Christ Child lay, we use the #LightTheWorld suggestions to act as our compass, guiding us with ideas for simple acts of Christlike love and service to others. Our actions, whether seen or unseen, become part of the #25Days25Ways “grateful chorus swell” that “acclaim His name.”

For truly as we adore others in Christlike service, we are showing that we truly “adore Him, Christ the Lord.”

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#LightTheWorld: Giving and Receiving

Screen Shot 2017-12-17 at 10.41.17 PM — #LightTheWorld

Right before we, the Honey-do and I, left to go visit some elderly single sisters from Church, we got a most wonderful telephone call from our friend Jim, who lives in another state. It has been ages since last speaking with him. He was returning my voicemail message from a couple of weeks ago.

We got to talk about his late wife, Helen, and all of the changes he has been through in this past year. Amazing things are still happening in his life even though he has lived ten years, to this day, as a widower. And yet, what a joyful conversation we had filled with incredible memories.

It was in Ohio that we got to know Jim and Helen. We got to know them through our Church many years ago. They, being older and wiser, became great mentors and friends. We were so thankful when we had the opportunity give service back to them when they both had chemotherapy on the same week, Jim in Columbus and Helen closer to home.

The incredible joy that comes from thinking back as to how things were and to see how things have gone forward in life for Jim is overwhelming and wonderful. The Lord’s tender mercies are truly immeasurable.

Jim and Helen became family to us. Even though she has passed on we still feel connected to Jim, knowing that this life is the testing ground, that we will see our Helen again.

Although we do not connect often, we connect often enough to stay in each other’s lives in order to celebrate change, to grieve over losses, and to accept the things that never change.

It is all good.

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#LightTheWorld: Scriptures in Song

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In our Church’s hymnal, at the bottom righthand corner of every hymn is a scripture reference. For example, on the English version of Franz Gruber’s SILENT NIGHT, the scriptures listed for that hymn are Luke 2:7-14 and Alma 7:10-12.

If you go through the Children’s Songbook it is the same. For example, THE SHEPHERD’S CAROL lists Luke 2:13-14, 20.

Sometimes I love to open the Hymns or the Children’s Songbook and just use it as a starting place to study my scriptures. I love to be able to sing and read and ponder the feelings of my heart.

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A remembrance: Little Carolers

Just saw a post on my Facebook page about a little gift I had given to my friend for her family. It made me smile because I had forgotten about doing that but what a little happy thought, a kindly gesture of gratitude to #LightTheWorld that I live in.

I have the exact same thing only I have not put out my Christmas decorations this year. Just have not gotten around to it.

Thanks my friend. You made my day.

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Day 7: #LightTheWorld with Music

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When my little Charlie R. was born I did not meet him right away. But when meeting him a couple of weeks later and I got to hold him, one of the first things I did was sing to him.

That little bundle has become a big bundle of delightful joy. My little Wall Ball. He is almost 17 months old and I am still singing him to sleep with the very first lullaby I ever sang to him.

Now it is Christmas time. He is old enough to absorb the wonderful time of year that it is. He loves music. He loves to break out into a dance when he hears something he likes playing.

It is a great time of year to play and sing fun songs, songs of joy, and songs of hope to light the world with His Glory.

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Day 4: #LightTheWorld ~ Love thy neighbor

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A thoughtful challenge every day, well, most days. Some days I am realizing that just living my daily life produces some good things on a regular basis, daily.

I do not need the reminder to do something good or kind every day. Some days, it is simply built into how I live my life so the reminder becomes, “You are doing just fine.”

Thank Heavens for the New and Improved me, well, at least for today.

#SecretService
#LightTheWorld
#DoingGoodIsAPleasure
#Anonymous
#25Days25Ways

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Day 3: #LightTheWorld ~ Sabbath day

Screen Shot 2017-12-02 at 12.09.20 PM — How can you make good use of your time on the Sabbath?

Today was the last day of the Montgomery Interfaith Nativity. My friends were singing this evening so after the Honey-do got home from Church we spent a few moments reflecting on the day, closed out our Fast Sunday with a prayer, quickly grabbed a bite to eat and then headed out the door.

We made it just in time to support our dear friends, Lana and her Grandpa Marty, singing at 5:30 p.m. They were wonderful and absolutely charming together. It was lovely to see them, as family, working in harmony to share the Spirit of Christmas with the Interfaith community.

Then we stayed for the next performance by the Christmas Trio, a women’s trio, who sang several Christmas lullabyes.

We made it home in time to feed the dogs and watch the Christmas Devotional from home. What a lovely Sabbath day of worship through music and the spoken word.

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SaveSave

Day 2: #LightTheWorld ~ I was thirsty…

Screen Shot 2017-12-01 at 1.02.15 PM.png The best part of #25Days25Ways is that service can be done in secret! No one has to know. So why am I blogging about it? Well, I am lazy and having a topic to discuss each day makes it easier on my brain. But do not get used to it because I could change my mind in a flash.

What I love about the Light the World site are the suggestions. It is usually easier to take a suggestion, think about it, and then come up with a way to make it work in my life or discuss it with my Honey-do to see what we come up with as a team. For example…

A few days ago we had a late night visit with someone. On the way home we stopped by Krispie Kreme. (Yeah, it is a daily temptation and that particular night we did not resist.) There were a couple of people ahead of us and then it was our turn. Oh yeah. Santa’s Belly was in the box before you could bat an eye…. Then we went all out with those insulated cups filled with hot chocolate, not to forget the whipped cream on top.

Being the chatter-box I began a short conversation with the man patiently waiting behind us. He was getting a box full of fresh off the line, warm, delicious doughnuts. Listening to him and enjoying his face light up as he described the delectable experience of nothing tasting “so good as one of those warm doughnuts melting in your mouth” made me smile.

So turning to my Honey-do we started a #LightTheWorld practice run. Honey-do quietly paid for the man’s doughnuts before we left. Then we tried to scurry away before he realized what happened but he zoomed out the door to tell us thanks.

Yesterday, on the offical first day of #25Days25Ways, I had a plan for what I was going to do. I began discussing a freely give opportunity that I wanted to do so Honey-do sat, patiently listened and agreed that my idea was just fine. But his face went a litte funny and within seconds he spilled the beans. It touched my heart.

Honey-do felt a prompting earlier as he was out and about, telling him to do something. Then he did it without second guessing himself. And then he took two steps more to go the extra mile in his act of service. The experience had touched him deeply and because of it, the Holy Spirit touched my heart equally so we both felt an incredible spark of warmth come over us.

Today, we counseled together again. And we each decided to do a little something for today’s theme.

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No, I will not tell you how we served today but I can tell you tomorrow is Day 3 and it has to with Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy.

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