Click here to learn more about my “55 Things” and here to view previous posts in this series.

27 years ago today my # 3, Kara, was born, so it’s time for her Disney song dedication. While I haven’t seen many of the new Disney movies. Moana is one that I have seen. As my husband and I watched we commented that Moana (the main character) reminded us of Kara. When I mentioned this to her she told me that her she and her sisters all thought the same and I do believe that Moana is her favorite Disney movie.

Happy Birthday Kara! 🎈

And this song is my song choice for her.

I love you Kiddo! 💖

Click here to learn more about my “55 Things” and here to view previous posts in this series.

Thank you to everyone who left comments on my last post about what they did to make it a great day. Though I wasn’t surprised, I found it interesting that all of the comments involved what I think of as life’s simple pleasures. Things like going for a walk, getting some extra sleep, going to church and spending time with family were all choices that made it a “great day”. The thing that struck me about all of these activities is that they didn’t cost anything. It was simply a matter of making the time and do it.

As Promised in my last post I am going to share with you something I have discovered that makes for a great day and just like all the other this can be done with no price tag attached. My secret is to make someone else’s day or in other words make it a great day for someone else. This can be more simple and effortless than we realize.

Let me share a few examples.

Share A Smile

One day, several years ago, I was doing some grocery shopping. Being a Saturday the store was pretty busy; people were pushing shopping carts up and down the isles stopping to examine items on the shelve, in bins or on racks, then placing their selection in their cart before moving on. It seemed like everyone was in their own little world. Perhaps just in a hurry to get the shopping done and get out of there.

As I walked down an isle I was stopped by a lady who I had passed at least once already. She said “I just wanted to thank you.” As I looked at her inquisitively she continued, ” You made my day. You smiled at me,” she said. “Of all the people here you are the only one who has even made eye contact and smiled. Thank you.” I don’t remember what I said to her but I’m sure we wished each other a good day as we went our separate way. Read on to find out what I learned from this.

** NOTE Wearing a mask can not hide a true smile – they can see it in your eyes so keep smiling. 🙂

Let Them Know They Are Appreciated

I will share a couple examples of this and how it has made my day:

The first example is the way I felt when the lady in the grocery store thanked me for smiling at her. It felt really good to think that something as simple as a smile could have that kind of impact on someone, and her words of thanks to me were a life changer for me. Since that day I always make an effort to at least smile at strangers who cross my path.

Another example of this came earlier this year. You may remember in the spring, when everything in our state was shut down, I told my husband that I really wanted some pansies to brighten up our yard and the neighborhood. My husband called the greenhouse where he worked last year and was able to arrange to “safely” buy two flats of pansies. We potted them up and put them alongside the deck.

One day when my husband was out in the yard a car pulled up by the curb. He didn’t know the lady who was driving but she was someone who lives in our community. She told my husband that she loved the flowers and they made her smile each time she drove by. Knowing that our efforts were appreciated and brightened someone else’s day made my day.

Surprise Someone

The last idea I’m going to share is to surprise someone. It could be as simple as a card or letter in the mail or a phone call to check in with someone you haven’t talked to in a while. The options are endless but I wanted to share one cool idea that I’ve heard of.

My youngest daughter used to work at a fast food restaurant. On some mornings she would end up working in the drive through. Once in a while when a customer would pull up to the window to pay for their order they would also tell her they wanted to pay for the order of the car behind them. She said this was very cool because when the next car pulled up to pay for their order she could make their day by telling them that their order was already paid for. At this time the person would often pay for the order of the car behind them and it would start a chain reaction. She said that it was always made her day to be able to tell someone that their meal had been paid for.

Now that I’ve shared some of my thoughts and stories about making someone’s day I’d love to hear from you. Have you had an experience when someone said “You made my day” or have you had someone do something for you that made your day? Please tell me about it.

Let me leave you with this poem.

"Slow me down, Lord, I am going too fast. 
I can't see my brother as he goes past; 
I miss a lot of good things day by day.  
I don't know blessings when they come my way.  
Slow me down, Lord, so I can see
More of the things that are good for me;
A little less of me, a mite more of you,
Let Heavenly atmosphere trickle thru,
Let me help a brother when the going's rough
When folks work together, things aren't so tough;
Slow me down, Lord, so that I can talk
with more of your angels...slow me down to a walk."

Click here to learn more about my “55 Things” and here to view previous posts in this series.

Hello Friends. My wish for you is that you have a great day. So I an giving you an assignment or as the title says “a mission”.

Your mission is to

Make It A Great Day!

Please leave a comment telling me what you have done or plan to do to make it a great day! Also be sure to watch for post # 45 where I will tell you my secret for making it a great day.

Click here to learn more about my “55 Things” and here to view previous posts in this series.

Today, November 1, being All Saints Day seemed like an appropriate day to share this post.

It’s only been in the past year that I have received information about my family tree on my paternal grandmother’s side and in doing so found that one branch stems from the Montreal and Quebec regions of Canada. Much of the information is names and dates but there are few stories about notable people. One such person is a Great (x8) Aunt named Jeanne LeBer.

I’ve thought about the story of Jeanne often this year as we struggled with imposed quarantines and were instructed to socially, or at least physically, distance ourselves from others. At times I have found myself resenting having to make such sacrifices and would wonder about this woman who chose to live her life as a recluse

According to https://margueritebourgeoys.org/en/jeanne-le-ber/:

“Jeanne Le Ber was born in Ville-Marie (Montreal), on January 4, 1662. Daughter of Jacques Le Ber, a wealthy merchant of Montreal, and of Jeanne LeMoyne, Jeanne LeBer was also the goddaughter of Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, founder and governor of Montreal, and of Jeanne Mance, foundress and administrator of the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital.

From her earliest years, Jeanne was attracted to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrement, an attraction which grew ever more powerful and was accompagnied by a deep desire for silence and prayer.

When she was eighteen, she obtained from her parents’ permission to live as a recluse in her family home. Completely withdrawn from the world, she left her home only to go to Mass. On August 5, 1695, at the age of 33, she made her reclusion more complete. She left her family and withdrew into the house of the Sisters of the Congrégation Notre-Dame where Marguerite Bourgeoys and her Sisters welcomed her with great joy. There she lived in a tiny room behind the altar of the chapel.

As a benefactor of Ville Marie, Jeanne gave away her fortune over the years, assisting the poor, the churches and the Congregation of Notre Dame. She made clothing for the most needy and provided for the schooling of disadvantaged young women.

Her life now was now one of continual hommage to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrement, in union with the Virgin Mary and the Angels. Between her hours of adoration and rest, without cessing her prayer, she sewed and embroidered church vestments and worked for the poor.

Her church vestments and altar ornaments, embroidered with gold, silver and bright coloured threads, reflected her intense life of contemplation as well as her appreciation of the beauty of nature and of God’s creation. She is at the origin of the Oeuvre des Tabernacles which is still active today. (4120 Vendôme avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3N1)

Her contemplative life has been an inspiration to the Recluse Sisters a religious congregation founded by two former students of the CND.

Far from being indifferent to the outside world, she brought the concerns and suffering of her contemporaries to her fervent prayers. She prayed especially for peace in a war-torn country.

She died on October 3, 1714 at the age of 52 years “in great odour of sanctity.”  The entire population of Montreal attended her funeral there to pay their last respects.”

The article found here  refers to her as a “native Canadian Saint”.

While I find myself admiring her decision, her dedication and her devotion, I can’t even begin to imagine living such a life of isolation. I am humbled.

Click here to learn more about my “55 Things” and here to view previous posts in this series.

Since my last post showed a look outside my kitchen window, I thought I would show you what is inside that window – on the window sill.

Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. I Corinthians 16:13

It’s likely these encouraging words need no explanation. Recently I have been thinking that I should have this verse tattooed on the back of my hand – universal instructions, so to speak. ( I won’t because tattoos are not my thing.) Maybe I just need to wash more dishes. 🙂

For longtime readers the flashlight is likely understood as well, but if you are new here or are wondering why in the world I would leave a flashlight on my windowsill or you have never read my flashlight sermon post, please click here. I do think it is worth your time to read.

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful day. 🙂