Simple Joys
Reflections on Life’s Little Miracles
by
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Life is such a journey and each road we take can teach us something. We learn and grow and learn and grow again...straight roads and curvy; narrow lanes and broad vistas; bumps in the road and even an occasional pot hole... life is a mosaic of adventures.
Curiously, this book took on a life of its own. About half way through its pages, I realized that it was teaching me as I wrote. I had started with the thought of sharing journeys that had changed me in some way, but The Holy Spirit within invited me along another path. I realized that most of the stories involved simple miracles. Those touch of life miracles that happen so often in our life that we may not always see them as such. With awesome delight, I found an inner joy in the telling...a gift-miracle for my soul. Then, as I reviewed each story, I realized what amazing insights surface when the Lord is the writing guide.
My Dad once sagely reminded me that each stage in life offers new challenges that increase our wisdom. He said to look at the treasure waiting to be discovered. I remember this advice often. The adventure of writing this book was nurtured by his "never stop growing" philosophy. Looking at my personal life stories in new ways, I have gleaned much from the garden of my life. In the pages that follow, I hope you will share my delight and that, again, your hearts will swell with joy.
Finally, be aware of miracles, they are around you every day. Enjoy!
And From the story The Chimney Monster:
"...Since I was balancing myself and holding my cleaning tool with my other arm, I wasn’t about to let go as I could see myself slowly sliding off the roof and hanging precariously in the air. So I put the glove up to my mouth to pull it off with my teeth. What an awful smell!
Then it happened! With my glove firmly grasped in my teeth, I pulled and I sneezed in rapid succession. The glove flew off my hand like the launch of a rocket and along with it my teeth…my tried and true, almost new teeth. I wobbled a second, then, stood in stunned silence. My barren mouth gaped open. I watched my teeth soar into space. Then, like a fickle friend, they changed course. I swear they made a perfect right angle turn and nose-dived right down the chimney. In a kind of trance, I gazed unbelieving down the black hole before me. I’d never believed in monsters, but right then I knew the Chimney Monster had attacked."
"Oh well," I thought, "so much for a good fit."
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About the Book
If you are reading aloud, reading to share, or just quietly reading in a comfortable chair, the author takes you away from your worries and concerns into more adventures from her remarkable life. In Simpler Times: Reflections on Women’s Friendship, you met the women who influenced her growth as a Christian woman. In Simple Joys, she shares everyday life stories of an all-abiding God and his constant provision in her life and the lives of family and friends.
Each set of stories has its own theme, and each theme has its own little miracle. Faithfulness, humor, perseverance, joy, and awareness ride on the tracks of her life. Each tale calls for personal reflection into the often overlooked miracles that surround us on our journey. Poetry and prayer are coupled with her prose to add a touch of grace to every offering.
Because the author hopes that her readers will find within their hearts a longing to revisit their own milestones, each set of stories offers questions for reflection, scripture verses to peruse, and spaces to jot down thoughts that come to mind. The book is tailored for individual or group enjoyment.
The word pictures are designed to tug at your heart or to make you laugh and to add a wisp of wonder or the spice of surprise. In the long run, the reader will be more aware and see God’s little miracles along the road of their own life. Enjoy the journey!
About the Author
Enjoying all things creative, the author, a former teacher, a mother and grandmother, loves writing, watercolor painting, reading, card making and scrapbooking. Active in her church and Bible-study group, she finds retirement a gifted grace. Her first book, Simpler Times: Reflections on Women’s Friendship was warmly received.