Posts filed under ‘Letter Writing’
Uncovering History with an Address Book: The I’s
I wrote one “I” letter and prayed for one person and her family.
This week’s adventure was going through the I’s. I learned three things by going through the I’s in my address book.
ONE. Seasonal. When you look back at your friendships over the years, do you find that they are static? Or have some come and gone?
I have moved 20+ times in my life. Some were majour moves like to a different state or to a different country. While some moves were minor like to another part of the same city. But no matter what the distance, each move caused an interruption in my friendships. And so I learned early on, that most friendships were seasonal. And that is okay.
TWO. Good Fit. While pondering the one “I” name and what I can learn, I see that the timing of this friendship (and other friendships that I no longer have close ties to), was just right. I was there for that person and she was there for me for that time. And it was just right. It was a GOOD fit for the both of us.
THREE/ Lessons. I have mentioned this in other posts, that I have learned from others; I have also learned a few things from this “I” person. These are lessons that have helped me to be a better thinker, a more humble person, and to be more cautious with my words.
Your Turn . . . How would you describe your friendships? . . . Are you in current contact with your “I” friends? If not, give them a call now. You never know how long you’ll be around each other.
Related Posts . . .
Uncovering History with an Address Book: The D’s
There are 4 names with addresses and 1 name that doesn’t belong in the D’s at all, no matter how you look at it. I only prayed for Tish Cook as I don’t have an address or area code.
4 letters and 5 prayers. That is what came of this week’s investigation of the letter D from my hard backed alphabet book.
The main thing I’ve learned is God sends me the people I need for the current stage I am in.
- In CO I needed folks who were godly and experienced in homeschooling. This D family was in love with learning and shared their lives with us. Peggy was the math teacher for our group. She loved math and was able to teach in a way so that each child (and adult) could understand the concepts. There was music, art, gardening, creativity, science, Bible, friendship and good food. These activities and their life-style impacted our lives as a family and me as a person.
- In CA (during the 2000’s) I needed a schoolmate to help me navigate seminary. It was male dominated and it was so helpful to have a female classmate (who also became a friend and room-mate). We prayed, learned, cooked/ate, and cried together. We discussed a lot of topics from Rachel Ray to Revelation.
- And currently in CA, I am in touch with two church families.that I have known for a long time. They showcase godly and persevering examples of how to handle family life from aging parents to young grandchildren. They have shown a watching world how to handle (well) personal challenges and challenges that impact the family.
I am glad to be able to say to them, “Thank You” for being part of my life and for making my life better as a result.
Interesting Note: I looked through my electronic address book and there are 31 entries.
Last Wednesday’s post was about seeing what I could see in the C’s. Next week I will share what I uncover in the E’s. To find the landing page with all the posts, go here. It is after the jump at the bottom of the page.
Your Turn . . . Look though your D entries. How have these folks impacted you? . . . When was the last time you thanked someone for their role in your life?
Related Posts . . .
Uncovering History with an Address Book: The A’s
I am just beginning my address book adventure.
- I have relived some fun times ( for instance, a niece’s political win).
- And I’ve relived some rejection.
- I have lots of memories about some folks.
- And I have scant memories about others.
In all, I have eight observations to share. Be sure to share your observations as you also go through your own address book adventure.
In my first post, I introduced a project I am doing: going through an old hard backed address book. Each Wednesday I will post what I unearth from each alphabet letter. Today is the Letter A.
Writing to the A’s
ONE. Six of the names had no addresses. So even though this is an address book, I was lazy and only captured the phone number or email address. But when I use a digital format, I tend to fill in ALL the fields.
TWO. I have crossed out 13 names. They are completely covered in graffiti. So I have no idea who is beneath this layer of ink or why they are buried.
THREE. There are incomplete names. Two people are listed by their first name only or by a title; like “Aunty Beryl. See Beryl Sidney.” I never hear Aunty B (not my real aunt) called anything else and so wasn’t sure I’d remember her full name when it came time to look her up. Thus she is in the A’s.
The only legible name on this whole page is Aunty Beryl’s. I wonder what history lurks beneath the layer of ink?
FOUR. Some of the names are friends of my children. I have phone numbers of some of my children’s friends from when they were in high school. That way if/when I needed to get a hold of my kiddos and didn’t know where they were, I could at least call their friends. I WANT to do this now. ACTION ITEM: Get phone numbers of my (adult) kiddos current friends.
FIVE. I have no memory of some folks. One entry simply says, “Andy (Church) 796-3160.” No last name, no area code, and no church are listed. I have lived in two states and one foreign country and attended four churches in this address book’s life time. In the future, I want to be better about adding additional, identifying information.
SIX. I am estranged from one person. It still hurts after all these years. I am still praying for reconciliation especially because I don’t know what happened. Yes, I did write a letter to this dear (to me) person.
SEVEN. I found a photograph. There is a photo postcard of my niece, Samantha, for when she ran for school historian. Yes, she won that election! I have a bunch of papers in this address book. I look forward to seeing what the other treasures are.
EIGHT. Multiple phone numbers for most folks. Phone numbers have changed for each of the folks at least once even if they haven’t moved houses. It would have been helpful if I wrote the numbers in pencil. BUT I prefer to write with a pen and the inkier the better! However changing the numbers in my digital book will be easy and never leave a mess.
I wrote 8 “A” letters.
I prayed for 11 people, even for Andy. God knows her/him and a prayer of blessing is never wasted.
Your Turn . . . Do you have a physical address book? Why or why not? … Do you relate to any of my findings? If yes, how?
Related Posts . . .
Uncovering History with an Address Book
Where do you keep contact information for folks and businesses? I use a GMail Contacts list. I update this digital address book frequently. But recently I came across an old-fashioned way of keeping track of such things:my hard-backed address book that is 23 years old
And this hard-backed address book is a very different creation than my digital address book.
Reading through it is like going on a personal archeological dig. A dig is about uncovering history. As I go through the lettered tabs in my address book, I am uncovering history, too – my personal history. And like a physical dig, I”ll observe, reflect and research to make sense of the discoveries.
As I go through each letter of the alphabet, I will record my findings. I will note if the address is current. I will indicate surprises, observations, disappointments, and action items. And I will write a letter for each address.
Besides saying “Hello, I was thinking about you,” I want to do the following.
- I will write the letter even if I know they’ve moved. Maybe it will be forwarded.
- If I have a personal memory of us together, I will share that.
- If not, I will thank them for their presence in my past life and wish them well.
- I will pray a blessing on each person or their family if the person is deceased.
- If they are still in my life, I will make sure I have their current info.
I will post on a new (alphabet) letter on Wednesdays. And if I get any replies to the letters I’ve sent, I will be sure to note that as well.
As the alphabet letter goes live, I will hot link it (complete list after the jump).
Your Turn . . .
- Do you have a physical address book? Why or why not?
- Post a photo of your address book.
- How about joining me in your own address book adventure?
I like writing letters. I say this even though I am never as faithful as I want to be. I actually started this project in 2011 and somehow I didn’t get very far.
Related Posts . . . Writing a Letter to Each Person in my Address Book – This is one of the posts I wrote way back in 2011.
Sending Thanks to a Friend – Gratitude Project
Sometimes life is hard and you need a helmet. Sometimes what you need is a friend who is tenacious about over-coming obstacles. That’s why I am smiling today. I have such a friend with an awesome example.
I know some amazing people. These folks are giving, growing, and fun. One such person is doing well at overcoming her past choices. I wrote her the following note . . .
I keep thinking about your recent achievement, 11 years clean – WOW! Thanks so much for your courageous and tenacious example.
The way you’ve held onto God and worked your program gives me great hope.
- It gives me hope that I can be an over-comer in the area of my eating.
- It gives me great hope that my family and friends with addiction issues can be over-comers too.
I also appreciate how giving you are of your wisdom and how vulnerable you are regarding your story.
Folks like this woman impact a wide circle of people. Her impact is more than temporal. I believe that she is impacting eternity as well. And I pray and hope that as I grow and give, that my impact is wide and brings others closer to God, too.
I am writing at least 36 letters expressing my gratitude. And I want to pray for them on that day as well. Go here for the original post and list of recipients. I am writing about it here in hopes that it spurs someone on to write their own gratitude letters.
Your Turn . . . Are any of your friends great examples too? Share how their courageous, tenacity impacts you?
Related Posts . . .
Sending Thanks to a “Behind the Scenes Person” – Gratitude Project
Without the help of others, I could not do my job well. Today I am saying “Thanks” to a behind-the-scenes person who gets a lot done without others noticing.
Think about the last BIG project you pulled off. You most likely had a timeline and a to-do list to keep you on time and on task. But you had something else, too.
You had people helping you. And most likely there were LOTS of behind-the-scenes type of people helping you with this project.
I think that behind-the-scenes people are the unsung heroes of our corporations, non-profits, schools, and even families. When was the last time you thanked one of these unsung heroes?
I am doing that today. I am sending a pretty card with words of appreciation.
I am writing at least 36 letters expressing my gratitude. And I want to pray for them on that day as well. Go here for the original post and list of recipients. I am writing about it here in hopes that it spurs someone on to write their own gratitude letters.
Your Turn . . .
- When was the last time to sent a thank you card to a behind-the-scenes type of person? How about sending one today?
- Have you ever received such a card? How did it make you feel?
Related Posts . . .
Sending Thanks to a Ministry Leader – Gratitude Project
For 4 weeks homeless folks in our area had a safe and warm place to sleep and a dinner meal. Photo by H Dominique Abed.
A lot of life comes with little recognition. Maybe we get too busy or just assume that that person who did a “good job” knows how we feel. However, they usually don’t and lots of times, burnout and bitterness can result especially in non-profit organizations.
So today I took the opportunity to say “Thanks” to a fellow ministry leader. This gal organized a revolving homeless shelter in our area. 4 churches were involved.
I didn’t have much to do with it, but I heard snippets of what occurred.
- The gospel was presented to 3 people (in a natural flow of conversation).
- It is possible that 4 homeless folks will get permanent housing.
- We had huge volunteer involvement from our church. They felt like they did something worthwhile (which they did) and are looking forward (already) to next year’s shelter.
These are only snippets of the GOOD that occurred.
I am grateful for my friend’s leadership and the fact that this program happened.
- Because of it lives were impacted (volunteers and homeless people).
- Because of it many people felt used by God (in a good way) and loved by Him as well.
I sent my friend and co-ministry leader a card with the above thanks.
I am writing at least 36 letters expressing my gratitude. And I want to pray for them on that day as well. Go here for the original post and list of recipients. I am writing about it here in hopes that it spurs someone on to write their own gratitude letters.
Your Turn . . . Is there someone in leadership that you can send a thank you note to? . . . Be specific in your words of praise.
Related Posts . . .
Sending Thanks to a (former) Roommate – Gratitude Project
Here I am with friends from seminary at a redwoods park. Left to Right: Hardeep, Janet, Susan (me), Janelle
While attending seminary I met a scholarly, tenacious, fun-loving redhead, Janelle. We had a few classes together and since there were few women in them, we tended to become partners. Soon a friendship grew and she was even my roommate for too short of a time.
After seminary we both moved on to our next step. I went on full-time staff at a church. My friend went on to care for her grandparents. She has put her “career” goals on hold for now.
Below is part of my gratitude note to her.
Janelle, you could have gone in a different (scholarly) direction after seminary. But you didn’t. You listened to God and moved to be near your grandparents in order to care for them. And as they age there have been more and more responsibilities and stresses.
Thanks, for faithfully handling all these with grace and humour. Your example shows a watching world of what love in action looks like and of course, this love points back to God.
I just wanted to let you know that you motivate me to be a better version of myself.
I’ll continue praying for you.
With Gratitude, Susan, who is looking forward to being your roomie again – either in this life or the next
I am writing at least 36 letters expressing my gratitude. And I want to pray for them on that day as well. Go here for the original post and list of recipients. I am writing about it here in hopes that it spurs someone on to write their own gratitude letters.
Your Turn . . . Do you have a roommate (former or current) that you could write a note of gratitude to? Why not do so and send it today?
Related Posts . . .
- 10 “A” Type Letters – I’m Choosing Appreciation
- Letter Writing Meme Take Two
- Personal Gratitude Prevents Burnout
Sending Thanks to a Cancer Survivor’s Mom – Gratitude Project
Letter 12. Sending thanks and encouragement to a mom with a seriously ill teen. Graphic by Cécile Graat.
Moms have a busy, stressful, tiring life under the best of circumstances. Add a seriously ill child to that mix and life becomes even busier, more stressful and tiring.
The thanks I am sending out today is to the mom of a teen who just dealt with her 2nd bout of cancer. The treatment is over and so far all looks GREAT.
I sent a card to tell my friend “Thanks for letting me part of your support team.” And I told her the reasons I am proud of her.
- You fought well for your girl.
- You did what was needed.
- You didn’t give up.
- You took breaks when it was necessary.
- You communicated with us.
- You were real.
- You trusted God.
- You cried.
- You were grateful.
- You were and are awesome.
Of course there are stories behind each of the bullet points. And these are things we have talked about the last 6 months. I am hoping this short note will remind my friend of the miracles she’s seen. I hope it reminds her of how much her day-by-day faithfulness made a difference in this traumatic situation.
SHE DID IT! And so did her daughter.
I am writing at least 36 letters expressing my gratitude. And I want to pray for them on that day as well. Go here for the original post and list of recipients. I am writing about it here in hopes that it spurs someone on to write their own gratitude letters.
Your Turn . . .
- Do you know someone who is caring for a person with cancer? Have you sent them a note telling them why you are proud of them?
- Have you ever received such a note? If yes, what was its impact, if any?
Related Posts . . .
Sending Thanks to My Apartment Complex – Gratitude Project
Letter 11! What makes your home unique? Flowering vines? Painted interior walls? Decorative accents? 2 of my interior walls are turquoise and I LOVE it!
What kind of dwellings have you lived in? Dorm room? Apartment? Single family home? Duplex? I have lived in all of these. And most recently I have lived in an apartment complex for close to 10 years.
I like living in a smaller space because . . .
- it is easier to keep clean,
- I don’t have yard work,
- and the price is right!
Some landlords are better than others. I am pleased with where I live. I like how the grounds are kept tidy and the maintenance is quick to respond to requests.
So today I wrote a letter to the office staff of my apartment complex expressing my gratitude for the above. And I added that I feel safe here and I REALLY appreciate that they keep the outdoor lamps lit!
It is never bad form to express thanks even to those who help make your home-living experience better. Usually people are quick to complain but not so quick to give thanks. I hope my apartment complex office staff feel encouraged by my letter.
I am writing at least 36 letters expressing my gratitude. And I want to pray for them on that day as well. Go here for the original post and list of recipients. I am writing about it here in hopes that it spurs someone on to write their own gratitude letters.
Your Turn . . .
- Who helps make your home-living experience better? How can you encourage them in their good job?
- Tell us the most unusual dwelling you have lived in. Castle? Yurt? Tiny home? Etc?
Related Posts . . .
Sending Thanks to a Workmate – Gratitude Project
All days are better because of my workmates! (photo credit to http://wishesmessages.com.)
Some people are consistent sowers of good deeds. It’s as if they can’t help themselves. I’d say this description is applicable to one of my work mates. (Actually all the people I work with could fit this description.)
Letter 10: Letter to a workmate. This gal jumps in when someone needs help. She is always willing and ready to pray. She is frank but friendly and so you get honest, helpful, advice that doesn’t tear you down.
I told my workmate the following . . . I appreciate the way you share your resources, time, affection, wisdom, and enthusiasm. I am grateful because I am enriched, blessed, and now phone-rich because of your generosity. The way you give of yourself flows out from a heart that is loving and godly. Thanks so much.I am writing at least 36 letters expressing my gratitude. And I want to pray for them on that day as well. Go here for the original post and list of recipients. I am writing about it here in hopes that it spurs someone on to write their own gratitude letters.
Your Turn . . .
- Do you have a workmate that you appreciate?
- If yes, when was the last time you told him/her that?
- What are some things you appreciate about that person? Now go tell him/her!
Related Posts . . .
- 5 Things I Can Do When I Don’t Want to Work
- 8 Characteristics of Kindness
- 10 Things I Like About My Best Friend
- Five Reasons I Love My Job
- What it Means to LISTEN Intentionally
Gratitude Letter Writing Project
I like to take chunks of time where I express my gratitude on my blog. I typically pick the months of July and November. Sometimes I write a list of items according to the date. I.e. On July 5th I wrote 5 items that made me feel grateful. On July 20th, I listed 20 items, etc. Another month I posted a daily picture and wrote a little bit about why I was grateful for what was pictured.
I will write at least 36 letters to different people expressing my gratitude and I will take as long as it takes. Because I am grateful to them, I want to specifically encourage them. I also want to pray for them on that day as well.
NOTE: I started this project in November, 2011 and didn’t finish. Now I intend to finish this Gratitude Project whenever I finish it. No more pressure – just lots of gratitude.
Below are my ideas. As I write a letter, I will hotlink the idea and write a short post on the who and why I am grateful. I will also say how I encouraged them. If I think of more ideas, or if you give me an idea, I will add them to the list.
After the jump is my list of letter recipients. To view it click on
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Fruitful Words 