Hidden Treasures

 Jerry and I volunteer for the Lynchburg Public Library. We are in charge of a Free Little Library downtown. We go to the main library, to a special place in the back, and grab fifty or sixty books to take to the small library. It has been in disrepair with the knobs falling off, the plastic in the doors scratched, paint fading and peeling, and the roof missing asphalt shingles. Last week Jerry went under it, unscrewed several large screws, and asked a young man who had just parked nearby to help him move it to our truck. It’s heavy! Thanks to his kindness they got it in. We parked in our driveway and the little library is now stationed on a workbench. It took a week for me to paint it, and for Jerry to repair the roof and doors. We are very pleased with it. It will look like part of nature as it returns to its natural habitat. The painting proved to be difficult. I’m used to painting on canvas. The wood was uneven, and I couldn’t move it to make a brush stroke easier. The co...

A giving hand is an open hand. We all have opportunities to give. The question is: how much to give? We pay bills, make sure there’s money in the savings account, give to the church, and give to charity. When two people are involved in giving it gets tricky. There needs to be agreement. Jerry is a very giving man. He grew up in a home with a single working mom who barely made enough income each month. His giving hand is open and generous. I have an open hand as well but come from a different perspective. I was raised in a home that wasn’t wealthy, but we had enough to take vacations and purchase what we needed. Jerry and I purposefully try to give 10% and more to the church, give to charities that speak to our heart, and to others who have a need. But there has to be a limit. We need to be able to take care of ourselves now and in the future. What a balancing act! God knows that, and we can find scriptures for giving that tell us: 2 Corinthians 8: Excel in the grace of giving. Matthew ...

  We have been in our house in Lynchburg Virginia for 2 years now. We love this beautiful city. We bought our house online after Katie, our daughter-in-law, and Celeste, our realtor, walked through and took videos. We love it, mostly. Our retaining wall fell after a huge storm almost a year ago. Fifty feet of the wall fell. What a mess. Jerry worked on moving the rocks and digging the dirt three feet back to give us a wider driveway. Then winter came, and he got an infection in his foot. His foot is better and the heat has subsided a bit so we had 550 retaining wall blocks delivered to the house. Jerry is moving them from where they were dropped off (second picture) to the back of the driveway (fourth picture). Fifty pounds each and he moved all of those yesterday! Jerry is resilient and strong. What a guy. One of the strongest men I know and he just turned 70. Our house is large, and our property is large and wild with many trees. We have plans to tame some of it. We're up for the...

                           Photo by Tim Roberts - tpr.photography_27 The power of a 10-cent paperback This book had a powerful impact on my life. I bought it at Habitat for Humanity Restore. It’s a small store in Lynchburg with reusable furniture, lighting, electronics, windows, tile, books, and myriad other things. We go there often to see if they have what we need to fix up our older home. I found three autobiographical books that looked interesting. Jerry and I are writing a Self-help/Memoir and I want to read as much as possible in that genre to gain insight into their writing styles. At the checkout, 30 cents. Nice. The book “Fortunate Son” caught my eye. The Vietnam War played a big part in Lewis Puller Jr’s life. He was there for a short time, but it affected him deeply. His father was a military hero. The most decorated man in military history. Lewis carried the burden of trying to live up to his father’s name...

Can I make a difference in the world? I’m like a tiny grain of sand on this planet with many shores. Can I touch a soul? Change a life? Why am I here? Pick up a handful of sand. What do you see? Little grains that all look the same. But if you look at them closely each has a unique shape. Here’s a peek at grains of sand up close. Image by freepik Like a handful of sand, people can all look the same, viewing their lives as perfect, with no problems or issues weighing them down. But when we really connect and get to know someone we can see their unique, God-given soul. If we dig deep with purposeful questions and a loving heart we can enrich our own lives. Like a grain of sand, we are uniquely created by God. He nurtured us, as His children, to use our gifts to change our families and communities, molding us through each relationship we build. My purpose is to surrender all of myself to God, not to save the world, but to make a difference in my small community. My ear tuned to Him, my ey...

  PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Perfecting a skill can be likened to a journey, where the desire for a shortcut to beauty lures many. Taking the easier path works with some things but for most, taking the longer route can teach us many life skills and lead us to a place where God can use our lives. Creating beauty out of brokenness. People yearn for achievement without embracing the effort. In my experience with piano lessons, I have witnessed eagerness to play challenging melodies without dedicating the necessary time to gain the skill. It takes time, and self-discipline to teach your mind and then fingers to play a song. When your fingers remember, it is a feeling of accomplishment like none other. Just as a painter strokes a canvas to create a masterpiece until it’s completed, my fingers need consistent practice to remember which keys to touch. Dedication. To complete this painting I put in the effort of setting up; getting the paints, water, and brushes out, setting up the...