Milkshakes are Kind

By Amy Anguish

When I started contemplating which acts of kindness stuck out in my head enough to write about, I came up with all sorts of ideas. There are the daily acts, like my husband making sure I get to take a shower BY MYSELF without small children bombarding me during that time.

To me, that is more than kind. Or there was the time the church helped us pay for car repairs when the vehicle we had purchased only months before suddenly needed a whole new engine. Yeah. And of course, all the meals they brought after the deaths of my grandparents and mother-in-law, or after the births of our children. Very kind.

But those all seemed rather “normal” to me. After all, you can find stories like that all the time. So, I stretched further in my memory and came up with two different times that really stuck with me. Maybe these will also seem rather expected to you, but to me, they made my day when they happened.

The first one was a day when both my husband and I were sick, to the point of not being able to leave the house for any length of time. All I wanted that day was something fizzy to help settle my stomach. But with both of us ill and no family around, it wasn’t going to happen. A friend found out and showed up at my front door with a 2-liter. He simply handed it off, said he hoped I felt better soon, and went on his way. It wasn’t anything profound, but it was exactly what I had been needing at that moment. And to me, that means more than a million dollars.

Another day was one where it seemed everything had gone badly. It was in the time of my husband and I finding out we were going to have to face infertility treatments and find a new job and several other things all at once. A coworker knew my day had not been great, happened to be near my house, and surprised me with a chocolate milkshake. I hadn’t even known I wanted one until she handed me the Styrofoam cup full of thick, creamy goodness. That was the best shake I ever had, simply because my friend had known I needed something to cheer me and had come up with that as the thing she could do.

Acts of kindness can be big, like helping to pay for bills. Or they can be small, like a soda or a milkshake. Even Jesus, in Matthew 10:42, says, “And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” It doesn’t really matter what the act of kindness is. It’s the spirit it’s given in that means the most.

Click to Tweet: Acts of kindness can be big, like helping pay for bills. Or they can be small, like a soda or a milkshake. It doesn’t really matter what the act of kindness is. It’s the spirit it’s given in that means the most. #kindnessmatters #love

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Amy Anguish
Author of An Unexpected Legacy

Amy Anguish grew up a preacher’s kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a cat or two. Amy graduated with a degree in English from Freed-Hardeman University and hopes in all her creative endeavors to glorify God, but especially in her writing. She wants her stories to show that while Christians face real struggles, it can still work out for good.

Follow her at http://abitofanguish.weebly.com or http://www.facebook.com/amyanguishauthor

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An Unexpected Anguish

“Smoothies brought them together, but would the past tear them apart?”

When Chad Manning introduces himself to Jessica Garcia at her favorite smoothie shop, it’s like he stepped out of one of her romance novels. But as she tentatively walks into a relationship with this man of her dreams, secrets from their past threaten to shatter their already fragile bond.  Chad and Jessica must struggle to figure out if their relationship has a chance or if there is nothing between them but a love of smoothies.

Be Kind to Animals

Summer Changes for Favorite Friday Fiction

Hello, friends! Summer is here and has brought an unexpected event in my life which will affect my schedule somewhat for a few months. My husband is scheduled for surgery next week and will be off work for six weeks.

Add that on top of my increased babysitting in the summer and a large garden to pick, can, and freeze.  I’ve decided to scale back my blog work for a couple of months which includes Favorite Friday Fiction.

I still plan to get some reading time in so when Favorite Friday Fiction resumes on September 7th, I’ll have lots of new books to share with y’all. I’ll still post every Monday with Small Acts of Kindness so don’t miss those fun reads.

I hope you enjoy your summer. And I can’t wait to meet you back here in September!

Thankful in a Crisis

I was at a local restaurant celebrating some neighbors’ birthdays, as we do every quarter. As I left, it began to rain. Since the rain had just started, the oil on the freeway was just beginning to come to the surface. Of course, you have to slow down.

Unfortunately, I didn’t think about that when I got on the on-ramp. As I accelerated, the car slid to my left. I quickly turned right and the car swerved too far. So, I went back to the left while trying to avoid the cars speeding past me. Going too far again, I turned.
Finally, I stopped, thanks to the guardrail. I threw it into Park and began to breathe again. Eventually, I calmed down enough to think. I realized I wasn’t hurt and thanked God for that. I mean that literally, for those of you who don’t know me well.  

After about 10-15 minutes I relaxed a little and decided I could drive again as long as the car would start. It did. Then I realized I was on a curve of the freeway and no one could see me stopped there. So it was crucial for ME to be able to see if anyone was coming around the curve.

Once I got back on the freeway, I wanted to get off as soon as I could. That way if the car had any damage affecting its drivability I’d at least be on a side street, more out of harm’s way, and able to call for help.

I stopped in a parking lot a couple miles from home to see if any of the tires were flat, even though it seemed to drive well. Finding no problems, I drove home.
I was still shaken when I got home, but I realized how much God had protected me.
• I wasn’t hurt.
• No one else was in the accident.
• The car was still drivable, even though it rattled.
• I managed to get the car unstuck from the guardrail after rocking it back and forth a bit.
• I got on the freeway safely again, even though oncoming traffic couldn’t see me.

Even though it’s drivable, the right headlight was knocked out and driving a car like that is illegal here. I had to get it fixed before going anywhere else.

Fortunately, I have a friend who loves to fix cars and is an insurance adjuster. So, he knows what a car’s worth, what kind of work it needs, and how much it’ll cost.

Rick came over the next day and took a look at the car. It’s got a lot of damage, as you can see. The right headlight was all but disconnected, the right fender’s smashed in, and I can’t open the door. Even the driver’s side door is banged in and scrapes when I open it. And the hood needs to be replaced. When I asked Rick if it was totaled, he shook his head, but added that it would be if I were to take it to a dealer.

I gave it to him to repair and he had a good time at the junkyard, finding the parts it needed, and  putting it back together again.  It took him less than a week and it actually looks better than it did before! Now I can get back to going where I want to, without having to depend on anyone else for a ride.

So I’ve got a lot to be thankful for.  God protected me from harm, even though the accident was on a freeway in the rain. No one else was in the wreck. I was able to drive the car home, and a friend of  mine fixed it, so I didn’t have to make a claim on the insurance my rates won’t go up.  Rick’s help in fixing my car made the whole incident much better than it would’ve been.  Thanks Rick!

 

Summer Kindness

Memorial Day: Commemoration

 “I have never been able to think of the day as one of mourning; I have never quite been able to feel that half-masted flags were appropriate on Decoration Day. I have rather felt that the flag should be at the peak, because those whose dying we commemorate rejoiced in seeing it where their valor placed it. We honor them in a joyous, thankful, triumphant commemoration of what they did.”
~ Benjamin Harrison-23rd President of the United States

 

Small Acts of Kindness: A Child and an Egg Hunt

By Kathy C. Houser

This was hard for me to choose. Lately I’ve seen many acts of kindness. From a stranger to a neighbor to a child. What stood out the most is the child’s good heart.

I had the pleasure of going to an Easter egg hunt at St. Paul’s in Decatur where my granddaughter, Ellie,  attends Pre-K. We sat in the hall as they brought out the children in groups. It was raining that day so Ellie’s egg hunt was in the gym.

Being a proud Nana, I filmed it all. The excitement in her little eyes grew when she saw me sitting in the hall. I knew she would really enjoy this year, being four. When it was over, she discovered that she had found the most eggs. I stopped filming and told her how proud of her I was and hugged and kissed her.  But that was not the end. What happened next really warmed my heart.

As we were leaving the gym, a little girl with only a few eggs walked up. Ellie looked at me and smiled. She then turned to the little girl and gave her two eggs. This made my heart happy, not only because she is my granddaughter, but because she showed kindness and thoughtfulness in her heart.

I told Ellie how sweet and kind that was to give because she wanted to. Ellie has always shown kindness. When she goes somewhere with my mom and I, every time my mom gets out of the car, she says, “Grandma, let me take your hand and help you.” She noticed me do this and wanted to help also.

At the Easter egg hunt, this kindness blossomed out of her own little heart. The kindness of children just warms my heart.

Worship Music Brightened My Day

It was over a decade ago, but I still remember it well. I’d been in the hospital for a few months, recovering from complications of a surgery. I was getting better, but the hospital isn’t a good place to spend your days—especially for so long. I was surrounded by white walls, sterile air, and machines that beeped constantly every day. The environment only worsened how bad I already felt.

I’d been in acute care  for several weeks after surgery and had finally been transferred to rehab, where I was re-learning how to sit up, stand, and walk in physical therapy. The occupational therapist taught me to dress, shower, and groom myself again. I went through PT and OT every day, twice a day. It was exhausting.

One afternoon I got a wonderful surprise that brightened my mood for the rest of the day. Matt Rexford, the worship pastor at my church, came to pay me a visit.   I lit up immediately when he came in. It wasn’t part of his responsibilities at church and I don’t know if he was even on the clock. We talked for a bit and then the surprise got even better. Not only had he come to visit, he’d brought his guitar.

We sang familiar, uplifting worship songs. It made me forget myself for a bit and focus on the Lord.  It attracted staff and visitors to a least peek in the room as well. Others slowed their stride as they walked by. Matt was encouraging them, as well as ministering to me.

Nearly 15 years later, the memory of Matt’s visit still blesses me. We may never know what impact our seemingly small actions have on somebody. Our words and actions may matter more than we think.

Small Acts of Kindness: Keep Walking

We all have days when we feel we just can’t take another step. If we go by what we see, life at times can seem pretty hopeless. But it’s not.

Go ahead. Step out in faith. Put one foot in front of the other, knowing that the One who holds the universe, is on your side. For always and ever…

Small Acts of Kindness: Oh, My Purple Hairbrush

By Cammi Woodall

Have you seen the meme on Facebook or Pinterest of the little girl with a purple hairbrush? You haven’t? Go to Google and look for ‘tantrum girl with purple hairbrush,’ It’ is totally worth it. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Isn’t she adorable? Haven’t we all felt that frustration and not been able to act on it? This clip comes from the 90’s movie Look Who’s Talking Now, the third installment in the John Travolta/talking baby series. The girl in the clip is named Julie and she is mad at her brother. You know how it is with siblings – you can’t wallop them or send them back to the hospital. So you grit your teeth, shake your purple hairbrush, and let off that steam.

The reason I chose this Small Act of Kindness is because of my sister Holly. Back before Christmas, she was having one of ‘those’ days. As a United Methodist pastor, she was trying to juggle her congregation’s needs, family, friends, daily stress, and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Feeling overwhelmed and attacked, she posted this meme on her Facebook page with a joking(?) threat of ‘Don’t make me get my purple hairbrush!’ Several people responded and ‘liked’ it with the laughing emoji. Holly had a good laugh, relieved some stress, and didn’t think too much else about it.

A few days later she returned to her office after being out of town at meetings. On her desk was a gift for her. Someone had gone to lots of trouble to make it look nice with a homemade gift bag and gold confetti strips. Inside was a sparkly purple hairbrush. There was no note and to this day she doesn’t know who gave it to her.

That purple hairbrush has become an official mascot/stress reliever for their office. Anytime she or the church secretary feel like each other may be getting angry or stressed, they joke ‘Hang on, let me get that hairbrush!’ That is their cue to step back, take a deep breath, and find a constructive way to deal with the situation.

In Holly’s words – “Every time I use it – for brushing my hair AND threatening, it makes me happy to remember that a good friend went to the trouble, not just to buy a gift and wrap it for me, but to find a purple hairbrush just because I liked it in a Facebook post. It was a great gift that still makes me very happy!”

Each of us face trials and tribulations each day and how we handle the stress of those situations is what defines us. It is easy to give in, to be rushed, terse, even hurtful or hateful. So the next time you feel yourself welling up with a harmful emotion, take a deep breath and shake your purple hairbrush!

Click to tweet: Small acts of kindness. Each of us face trials and tribulations each day and how we handle the stress of those situations is what defines us. #amwriting #kindnessmatters

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Daughter, sister, friend, huge nerd, procrastinator… All are words Cammi Woodall uses to describe her self. A new one she is using is writer. That is scary! Cammi is a writer. Her hands shake when she says it or writes those words.

After keeping her stories hidden away for decades, she’s decided 2018 is her year to jump out of her comfort zone and get her writing to the public.

Despite darker reading habits, a comic thread weaves its way through her fictional stories. Even in emotional pieces, her characters use humor to cope with everyday tragedies. Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying!

Cammi has contributed articles to inspiredprompts.com and has become a contributor for 2018. She looks forward to the day she can list the titles of her completed novels!

You can reach Cammi at https://www.facebook.com/cammiwoodall or follow her at https://pinterest.com/cammiwoodall.