Hi, Girlfriends!
I wanted to share the fun thing I did for Valentine's Day for my two boys that are out of town. Caden - age 3 and Kevin - age 17 - a one size fits all kind of gift!
My daughter called and said Caden loved it. I wish I could have been there to see his sweet little face. But I did get lots of hugs when I saw him yesterday (a wonderful surprise visit!) They came in the bank where I work and he gave me such big, long hugs. Then we walked all around, hand in hand, meeting my co-workers and checking out the whole place. He is such a sweet, handsome, fun little man!
Now, Kevin's reaction was mild. He called and said thank you for the candy. And we talked for a little while about how he is feeling and how school is going. Then after we talked for a few minutes -- he says, "how did you do that?," talking about the candy in the bottle. So I think he thought it was neat.
If you remember, Kevin is the young man who was in a really bad accident, life flighted to Grady, in a coma for weeks. He is a miracle still in progress. He is slowly regaining his speech, his motor skills, and most of his memory. He has been in therapy, rehab, and now they are trying to get him back into the public school system. We are hoping to have him come be a part of our family (he is in foster care) and we are taking the IMPACT classes to be foster parents and in the mean time we are still spending as much time with him as we can, and talking to him almost everyday. Please pray for Kevin - pray he will do what he needs to do to stay on track with his health and well being.
OK! Now back to the Valentine mail out!!!!! (I get distracted easy by my boys, my girls, my loves!! grin)
Then I put red duct tape all around it to close off the "door" and to seal it. I had some stamps I plastered all over a piece of cardstock then I cut it into a strip big enough to go around the bottle. I put a mailing label on it then wrapped the label and the card stock with clear wrapping tape. I also hot glued the cap onto the bottle. I took it to the post office and they had a fit and just loved them. It only cost a little over 2.00 to mail.
I made one more for Mark and since I did not have to mail it, I put chocolate kisses in it and I decorated the outside with curly ribbons on the neck.
I made one of these about a year ago and sent it to an old friend. I used a 2 liter bottle and put in it pictures from our long ago days - pics from camp, prom, youth conventions --- Kind of a "Time In A Bottle" concept. It was fun remembering our times together when we were kids.
So get your brain going. Who can you send a bottle to? You can use water bottles, too. You could just write a good old fashioned letter and mail it in a water bottle. I have done this kind of thing for years. Back when Hank and I were dating (our college days) and we were apart for the summer - me in Orlando where I lived, and he in Savannah with his family - I would find all kinds of ways to mail him letters. Yes, that was before cell phones.....let me see if I can recall some of the ways....the McDonalds apple pie carton - I put a letter in that and mailed it. A big cardboard lips - it advertised a lipstick - it was a display where I worked and we were taking it down to discard. So I repurposed it! I wrote the letter on the back of it like a post card and mailed it! The Pringles Chip can - filled with homemade cookies and mailed. Well, you get the idea.
IF ANY OF YOU HAVE A GREAT IDEA - PLEASE SHARE IT! LOVE FUN STUFF!
Well, girlfriends, as always, I covet your prayers. I let this blog and the fun things I find to make and bake distract me from life hardships, but I will tell you that I am struggling. I keep hoping to round the corner and see some light. My hope is in Christ, but to be honest, I am getting weary. So please pray for us.
It's the season of love.
The air is heady with it.
The breath I breathe a witness
filling up my lungs, lingering in my senses,
reminding me that
I a m l o v e d.
Deeply.
Divinely.
By a Savior who is the very definition of love.
It's written on His hands.
My name.
Tattooed on nail scarred palms.
It's in the shadow of a cross, the gentle breath of grace,
His hiding place where
I a m l o v e d.
Extravagantly.
Fanatically.
So my Jesus tells me...
in love letters He writes me when I'm still enough to listen,
in sweet serenades and little lilting voices,
warm caresses,
never ending forgiveness,
my hand tucked in His.
And my love for Him?
So meager.
Meted out in half-finished devotions.
Exhausted metaphors.
A half-lit flame I'm ashamed to have let sputter.
Jesus-whispers fill my soul,
"Be Mine...I am already yours."
My heart will answer.
Throw blazing logs of love on this fire!
Let the desire of heaven spark my own.
Turn these cold ashes into burning embers.
J e s u s i s w a i t i n g.
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